Harry's Wish
by JilyHinnyRomione15
Summary: Harry gets a rare wish granted and his parents return from the dead. Pre-fifth year, post-fourth year. Dursley abuse. James & Lily rescue Harry with the help of Remus and Sirius and try to restart the life and family they were denied. Rated M, just to be safe. Main pairings: JP/LE, HP/GW, HG/RW, RL/NT.
1. Chapter 1

**Harry's Wish**

**A/N: No, I don't own Harry Potter, so don't ask. : (**

**Here's some info about my story:**

**Yes, I know the whole 'Lily & James coming back' thing has been done before. I don't care. This is my version.**

**In my story, the Dursleys (mainly Vernon) are quite abusive to Harry. If you are sensitive to this, I suggest you don't read it. That's just how I always thought of them. I've seen some stories include rape, but mine does not.**

**My pairings are mostly canon, but I haven't decided if I'm going to bring that into the story yet or not. If I do, no, I won't change it, so don't waste your time and mine asking me to.**

**This story will somewhat follow canon, but I'm leaving out the Dementor attack.**

**I'm not really sure how far I should take this, so I guess we'll all find out together.**

**Constructive criticism is welcomed, and if you see any mistakes, PLEASE bring them to my attention. If you have questions, feel free to ask!**

**Enjoy!**

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Prologue

Harry Potter sat on the edge of his bed, exhausted from another long, hot day. It had been the fourth time this week that Harry had ended up on the receiving end of one of his uncle's tempers, and frankly, he was quite sore and rather banged up. Harry hoped it was only a matter of time until he was rescued for the remainder of the summer, but so far neither his friends not his godfather seemed to be providing much information. So instead, Harry decided to keep them regularly informed (in a bit more detail than normal) of the on-goings of his summer holiday. He held high hopes that maybe Sirius would catch onto his heavy hints and insist that he be removed immediately. Or maybe Hermione would understand his silent pleas and call the attention of someone who could help him – perhaps Ron's parents.

Harry had not wanted to come here after leaving Hogwarts at the end of term. The events at the end of his fourth year were horrific, even for adults. He wanted to be somewhere he felt safe and comforted – anywhere but the Dursley's. But this had been Dumbledore's order, at least for the first part of the summer. Dumbledore had said something about Harry would be protected there, but Dumbledore obviously only saw things from the magical perspective outside the house. Harry's relatives hated him. But it wasn't as if Harry really had anywhere else to go, so he had to deal with being here until someone said he could leave.

_'I wish someone would come and get me,'_ Harry thought. _'I wish my parents were still alive, more than anything. Then I wouldn't have to go through this.'_

And with that, Harry fell asleep. But little did he know, an old magic was reawakening.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Godric's Hollow:

In the graveyard in Godric's Hollow, things were happening. Two graves cracked open, nothing left inside.

Down the street, the Potter house was seeing changes as well.

No one had lived there for nearly fourteen years. Not since Mr. and Mrs. Potter had died. The house was run down, an entire room on the second floor blasted wide open. But inside, something was changing.

Lily Potter opened her eyes for the first time in fourteen years, lying on the floor of her son's nursery.

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter will be up sometime tomorrow! Thanks so much for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oh my gosh! You guys make me feel so awesome! :D I woke up this morning to a bunch of follows and favorites! Thank you so much!**

**Okay, so to answer some questions some of you might have had: Yes James and Lily technically have new bodies. Because the ones in the graves would have been rotting by now or already dust. So it made sense to me that they should get new bodies.**

**After this chapter, I'll probably be updating weekly or bi-weekly – I'm updating this one because I already have it written and I'm working on the next chapter. It should be done within the week. Until then, why not give me some feedback when you finish this one?**

**Okay, loves, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!**

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Chapter 1

Lily looked around the room, wondering what could have possibly happened to leave her house in such a state.

An entire wall of her little boy's nursery was missing, and everything that had been in here was either rotted or in such bad shape it couldn't be used anymore.

Speaking of her baby, where was he? One minute she was begging for his life, with him crying behind her, the next she woke up on the floor and he was gone. She had to find him, and her wand as well.

Lily looked everywhere in the room, and she eventually found her wand under Harry's crib. Oh, her precious little boy! Where was he? What had happened to him? She prayed he was safe.

'_Oh, Merlin!' _Lily thought. _'What about James?'_

Lily hoped as she crept out of the nursery that her worst fears wouldn't be confirmed.

"James?" she whispered cautiously. "James, are you alright?"

"Lily?" came her reply. "Sweetheart, are you okay? What about Harry?"

Lily came down the stairs to meet her husband. "Oh, James," she said, starting to cry. "James, he wasn't in his crib. Where could he be? What if something awful happened to him? I couldn't stand it! And our house! It's ruined! It wasn't like this earlier. What's happened?"

"I don't know, darling," James said, attempting to console his sobbing wife. "I'm sure he's fine, though. Don't worry, we'll find him. But first, let's gather everything of value from the house. Our money, and everything we can take with us; and maybe we should change, too."

They quickly ran through the house, grabbing everything they could find that was of importance. As they went through the house, they assessed the damage. It was clear they couldn't stay here.

Luckily, most of their clothes were still intact, thanks to a spell from Lily. They found some acceptable Muggle clothes and changed quickly.

"What should we do now, dear?" Lily asked. "We should alert Dumbledore that we're alright, maybe he has Harry. Or at least he'll know where he is."

James thought for a minute. "Yes, we probably should go see Albus first. Fill him in on what's happened… But what about Sirius and Remus? Sirius is Harry's godfather, after all. Maybe he's got him."

"Hmm, that's a thought," Lily mused. "We'll go there afterward, unless Dumbledore tells us otherwise."

James wrapped his arm around Lily and Apparated them to just outside of Hogsmeade. They set off, up High Street, and headed for Hogwarts.

* * *

Everyone they planned to visit that night, aside from their son, was currently congregated in Albus Dumbledore's office, watching as they made their way across the Hogwarts grounds.

"Ah," said Dumbledore in surprise. "It seems we have some rather…unexpected visitors."

"Who is it, Albus?" questioned Minerva McGonagall, drawing her wand.

"I do not know, Minerva, but it appears they mean us no harm. We shall find out when they arrive."

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin sat back down in their chairs and looked at each other with concern.

In a few minutes' time, there was a knock on the door of the Headmaster's office.

"Come in," Dumbledore called to the newcomers.

When the door opened, no one was prepared for the sight they received. James and Lily Potter (or what looked like them, at least) stepped into the office, their faces full of concern.

"It can't be… No." whispered Professor McGonagall, wand still drawn.

Sirius and Remus were out of their chairs with their wands ready.

"You look like you've all seen a ghost," James said jokingly.

But this wasn't funny, not to Sirius. He quickly strode over to 'James,' wand raised.

"What form is your Animagus?" Sirius asked angrily.

"A stag, you know that Padfoot," said James uncertainly. "Why, what's this about?"

"Show me then, if you really are James," said Sirius, lowering his wand slightly.

"Really, Sirius? You think that's best, here? Well, alright then," James replied, slightly confused.

"Sirius, it's a trap, they're imposters. You and I both know James and Lily couldn't possibly – no matter how much we want to believe it," Remus warned.

"'Couldn't possibly' what, Remus?" Lily asked.

"What did I tell you and James when you asked me to be your Secret Keeper instead of Sirius?" Remus asked hotly.

"You… You told that you agreed with Sirius. We should make Peter our Secret Keeper, because you and Sirius were too obvious choices. So we did," Lily said. "Now really, Remus, what is this all about?"

Beside her suddenly stood a tall, beautiful white stag.

"Merlin's beard," whispered Sirius, dropping his wand. "Prongs. It really is you."

The stag transformed back into James.

"Yeah, of course it is, Padfoot. Can't you tell? Now come off it, what's going on?"

"Yes, it is them after all. I can smell it. But how?" Remus confirmed.

"Ah, how indeed, Remus," Dumbledore echoed. "Surely, something quite miraculous has occurred."

"Will someone please explain what's going on?" Lily demanded, fully irritated by now. "And I want to know where my Harry is!"

"Please, Lily, James, have a seat," Dumbledore offered, conjuring two more chairs with a flick of his wand. "I will explain everything in due time, but first, do you know what the date is?"

James and Lily looked at each other at this odd question.

"Um, since it's after midnight, I'm guessing it's November first, 1981?" James said, still confused.

"No, James," said Remus gently. "It's July thirtieth, 1995… Today is Sunday, well, now anyway."

Lily and James just stared at each other. It wasn't possible.

"Is this some kind of sick joke, Moony? 'Cause, honestly, it's not funny," James said darkly.

"No, Prongs. It's not a joke. I wish it were…"

"But fourteen years?! How? Why?" James asked, bewildered.

"James, we're wondering the same thing," Sirius said.

Dumbledore spoke up, "James, there are a few things you need to know about the past few years. You and Lily have missed quite a bit."

"Quite a bit?" Lily repeated. "Yes, I'll say we have! We've missed our little boy growing up!"

Lily was nearly inconsolable. James was just stunned. How could they have missed out on so much?

"So… What's happened, Dumbledore? Why have we missed out on fourteen years? Where's our son? Please tell me he's alright," James asked, his concern growing.

"That is not an easy thing to explain, even I am not completely certain of all the details," Dumbledore said, the twinkle back in his eyes. "I will do my best to answer your questions, but a few things we can only guess at."

"Okay," said Lily slowly. "So, first question: Why have we missed fourteen years?"

"That, my dear Lily, is a wonderful question. The answer my shock you both," said Dumbledore bracingly. "Please allow me to explain fully before any interruptions.

"Fourteen years ago, something terrible happened, and both of you suffered a horrible fate. Voldemort murdered you both before turning his wand on Harry."

Lily gasped and James sat with his head in his hands.

"Is my son alright, Dumbledore? And if we died, how are we here now?" James asked, the tears in his eyes threatening to spill over.

"Why you're suddenly back now, that is a mystery. Fate has her mysterious ways… But Harry is quite alright," Dumbledore said brightly. "He was not killed that night. He is alive and well, and you would be very proud of him. That night, not only did Harry survive, but Voldemort's curse appeared to backfire. He did not die however. He was merely stripped of his powers, and curiously, his body. Harry walked away with only a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. This year, however, Harry competed in the Triwizard Tournament, completely by accident, along with three other students. As he is not old enough to have competed, a Death Eater posing as the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher put his name into the Goblet of Fire, and Harry's name came out when the champions were selected. In the Third Task, the Triwizard Cup had, unbeknownst to myself and the other Hogwarts teachers and staff, been turned into a portkey. Harry, along with the other Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory, grabbed the cup, which transported them to a graveyard where Voldemort waited. Peter Pettigrew, otherwise known as 'Wormtail,' killed Mr. Diggory, on Voldemort's command. Harry then watched as Voldemort obtained a new body. Voldemort gathered his remaining faithful Death Eaters, and then proceeded to duel Harry. Harry got away, and used the cup to transport himself and Cedric's body back to Hogwarts. As you can imagine, Harry is quite shaken. Other than that, he is fine."

James and Lily just stared at each other. Their little boy, their _precious_ son, had been through so much, and at only fourteen. Of course, they were immensely proud of him, what parent wouldn't be? But they were more concerned for him, how he was handling all this. And, moreover, was he happy? They had missed so much. Who had been taking care of him?

James spoke first, "So where is Harry now? Who's been taking care of him? Sirius?"

It was Sirius who answered him, "I wish. I've only been a part of Harry's life again since last year. No, someone _else_ took care of Harry."

James looked from Sirius to Remus, slightly alarmed, "Remus?"

"No, James, I didn't either. For obvious reasons…" Remus said, not quite meeting James or Lily's eyes.

"Well, who did then? And Sirius, we made you Harry's godfather. You should have been first choice," Lily said, concern mounting again.

"I sent Harry to live with your sister, her husband, and their son, who is about the same age as Harry," said Dumbledore calmly.

Lily and James exchanged a horrified look.

"P-Petunia… raised my Harry?" asked Lily shakily. "Oh dear. That's no good. They _hate_ us."

"Dumbledore… Why?" asked James. "There's no way they treated him right. When can we go get him?"

"I sent Harry there because I believed family was best for him," Dumbledore replied. "Through Lily's blood, Harry was protected. The longer he stayed in the care of relatives, the longer he would be protected. But, it seems that he has other options as far as family now."

"Yes, but what about Sirius?" said James, quite upset by this point. "We had clearly said that if anything should happen to us before Harry came of age, Sirius was to become his guardian. Why wasn't he?"

"I wasn't in much of a position to, up until a year ago," Sirius said darkly. "The bloody Ministry had me locked up. Said I was 'Voldemort's right-hand man.' After…after what happened to you two, I went to go find our dear friend Peter. He sold you out to Voldemort, James. He has the Mark and everything. Well, when I went to see him, I cornered him in an alley. He knew I was well past angry. The dirty coward blew up the alley, cut off his finger, then he transformed. He killed thirteen Muggles in the process. All the Ministry officials could find of him was his finger. So I got charged with murdering him and the Muggles. I didn't even get a trial, just straight to Azkaban. Twelve years I spent there, until I escaped. They still think I'm guilty, so I have to be extremely careful if I go out."

"But, you didn't do anything," James said. "Why hasn't Peter been turned in?"

"He's too quick for anyone to catch," Sirius said. "But we've come close a couple of times."

"Wow," said James.

"But what about Harry?" Lily asked. "When can we go get him?

"Well," said Dumbledore, "it is rather late, and I'm sure Harry is asleep by now. Why not wait until the morning to collect him?"

"Well, I guess you have a point," said James. "I guess we'll just have to wait until the morning…"

"Ah. Well, now that's settled," said Dumbledore happily. "You can stay in the castle tonight. I'll have Minerva show you to a guest room."

Professor McGonagall had listened to the entire conversation in silence. She was still sunned to see James and Lily, walking about and talking, as if they'd never been gone.

"Of course, Albus," said Professor McGonagall. She got up and started for the door. "Oh and James, Lily… It's good to have back."

James could have sworn he saw a smile and tears brimming her eyes before she turned to the door.

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**A/N: Okay, so that's Chapter 1! I understand it was probably unbearably dull, but it was necessary. The next chapter will be better, I promise! I know that since this is fifth year, at the end of the year (provided I take this story that far) in canon, Sirius dies. Now what should I do about that? Should I keep it in, or should I let him live? Review & let me know! Also, should Harry & Ginny get together yet, or should I wait? So many ideas! Give me your opinions & tell me what you thought! Again, thank you, dears!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I am so excited by the response my story has gotten! Thank you all! You guys fuel me to keep writing, and I'm so excited to post each chapter. :) So, this is my gift to you: the next chapter earlier than expected! Thank you all for the support!**

**This is a really tough chapter, you guys. This is where I say again; if you are sensitive to abuse, stop reading now. You've been warned!**

**Okay, so here's Chapter 2! I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Oh, and I still don't own Harry Potter. :( How unfortunate for me, because that means I'm still a broke college student who writes because it's fun, not because I'm richer than Queen Elizabeth.**

Chapter 2

Harry was having nightmares – again. It was always the same: the graveyard and Cedric's death.

'_Kill the spare!'_

'_NOOO!'_

'_AVADA KEDAVRA!'_

And there lay Cedric, dead on the ground. His empty eyes haunted Harry.

"No! Cedric, no! Mum! Dad! Help! Someone, help me, please!" Harry screamed out in his sleep.

Suddenly, Harry was jolted awake by his uncle bursting into the room. Harry was snatched out of bed and was now staring into his uncle's angry purple face.

"What the devil do you mean by it boy? Waking the whole house up at ungodly hours! I'll teach you to keep this up!" Vernon sneered.

Harry braced himself; he knew all too well what he was in for. He was already headed for another beating, and the day had barely begun.

A fist collided with the side of Harry's head, lifting him off his feet and landing him on the floor. When he hit the floor, the pain didn't stop coming. He was hit over and over again. He was kicked repeatedly, and in no one particular place. Harry's stomach, head, chest, back, face, ribs – everything, everywhere, hurt. He was very careful not to make a noise, as that would only encourage his uncle to kick and hit him harder. Now his uncle had begun hitting him with a belt. Not the strap, though; Harry was on the end of the buckle.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, it stopped.

"Let's see if any more of your nonsense disrupts us," Vernon threatened. He dropped the now blood-spattered belt and slammed the door behind him, locking all the locks on it before he left.

Harry lay on the floor in a pool of his own blood. He was writhing in pain, trying to assess his injuries. At least two broken ribs, maybe more. His left hand was broken, maybe part of his arm too. His head, Merlin, did his head hurt. That was definitely a concussion. Not to mention all the cuts that covered his body. And his burn! How could he forget about that? He had burned his arm cooking dinner the night before when he burned part of the food. That was the source of the searing pain on his right forearm. His right ankle was cracked – he'd have to be careful with that.

He got up, blood dripping from his cuts and a busted lip, and quietly hobbled over to his desk. He was silently crying to himself, not trusting himself to let it out completely – partially because of how much pain he was currently experiencing, partly because he didn't want a second beating so soon.

Hedwig, who was perched in her cage, clicked her beak worriedly at him.

"Give me a few minutes, Hedwig. I'm not really feeling my best right now. I'll have a letter ready for you in a few minutes."

Harry got out a quill and a piece of parchment and (with great difficulty) began a letter to his godfather.

'_Snuffles,_

_Get me out of here. Please, I'm begging now. I won't last much longer here. I don't care how you do it, as long as it's soon. Help me._

_Harry'_

Harry rolled up the parchment and tied it to Hedwig's leg.

"Okay, girl. Take this straight to Sirius. Stay with him. Hopefully I'll be there soon too."

With one last sad look, Hedwig flew out the window. Harry looked after her, wishing he could just fly away from here, too. He was so tired. He looked at his clock on the nightstand – five-thirty. Ugh. Well, at least he had a couple of hours to sleep. He changed his blood-soaked shirt and laid back down in bed, praying for no dreams this time, and that the Dursleys would sleep in.

Sirius awoke in his room at Number 12 Grimmauld Place to a tapping sound coming from the window. He sat on the edge of his bed and groggily looked to the window. On the ledge sat a big, snowy owl.

He hurried to the window to let her in. Why in the name of Merlin was Harry writing so early? And wasn't Harry awaiting Sirius' reply instead of vice-versa?

Sirius removed the parchment from her leg and unrolled it. Hedwig clicked her beak impatiently at him.

"Okay, Hedwig, I'll give you some food in a minute. Just let me see what Harry wants," Sirius said.

As Sirius read Harry's letter, he was steadily becoming more alarmed. He saw blood spots on the parchment and he knew something had happened. No wonder Hedwig was so upset. He quickly turned back to the white owl and dumped out some owl treats for her on his desk. "Here, Hedwig, take the lot. I've got to go get Harry."

Sirius ran from the room and down the hall to where Remus was sleeping. He burst through the door, letter still in hand, and shook his friend awake.

"Remus!" Sirius called urgently. "Moony! C'mon, wake up! Hurry!"

"Whasgoinon?" Remus said, half-conscious.

"It's Harry! Something's wrong. He just owled me, and Remus, I have a very bad feeling. I think he's hurt. We need to get Lily and James. Please, hurry!"

Remus jumped out of bed and hurried to find clean clothes. He changed and then pocketed his wand.

"Let me see the letter, Sirius," Remus said, trying to stay calm.

Sirius handed him the piece of parchment and watched as the werewolf's eyes grew wide with fear. Remus sniffed the letter and looked up, angrier than Sirius had seen him in years.

"We need to get Lily and James. Now. That's Harry's blood all over that letter. He's badly injured," Remus confirmed.

Sirius and Remus tore out of the room and down the stairs, racing to get outside.

Once they were in the street, Sirius grabbed Remus', arm and Remus Apparated them to just outside of Hogsmeade. Sirius quickly transformed into his Animagus form of the black dog, and they hurried down the street, breaking into a run when they hit the Hogwarts grounds.

Sirius transformed back when they reached the castle, and they ran inside, letting Remus' wolf-like sense of smell help them find their friends. When they reached their door, they started knocking as hard as they could until James answered, looking rather alarmed by this rude awakening.

"Erm, can I help you two?" James asked, slightly caught off guard. "Do either of you even know what time it is?"

Lily was in the background, looking slightly concerned. "Is something the matter?"

"James, it doesn't matter what bloody time it is. You both need to get dressed as quick as possible," Sirius said in a rush. "It's Harry."

James stared at Sirius with a look of fear. "Is my son okay, Padfoot?"

"Oh no!" said Lily worriedly. "My little boy! What's happened?"

"We can't be entirely sure of anything," answered Remus. "He just owled Sirius and his letter was very…worrisome."

James looked at Lily, and saw his own concern mirrored in her face.

"Give us just a minute to get properly dressed, and we'll be ready," James said. "And we want to see his letter."

They were out within minutes, eager to see their son.

"Can we see the letter, Remus," Lily asked.

Remus handed them Harry's letter and watched as they read, their faces a mix of confusion, anger, and worry.

"'Snuffles'? Why does he call you 'Snuffles,' Padfoot?" James asked.

"It's a codename in case the owls are intercepted," Sirius answered.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Lily said impatiently. "Let's go."

They set off for Hogsmeade, leaving behind a note for Dumbledore about where they had gone. Once in Hogsmeade, they Apparated a safe yet close distance away from Privet Drive and made their way through the neighborhood.

When they reached Privet Drive, Lily broke out in a run, James taking off after her. There were lights on in Number 4, people were awake and starting their day. When the group finally reached the doorstep, they had no idea what they would find inside.

When Remus and Sirius (who had transformed back from his dog form) got to the door, James started pounding on it. After about five minutes of knocking, a rather large man who looked extremely angry that his breakfast had been interrupted snatched the door open. When he saw who was beating on his door, his face blanched and a look of sheer terror spread over him.

"W-What do you want? There's nothing here of concern to you," he stammered.

"Well, that's a fine way to greet your sister-in-law after fourteen years, Vernon Dursley," Lily said coldly. "And I do believe that something here is of my concern – you have my son."

"But, but you're dead!" Vernon exclaimed, horrified. "And you -" pointing at James, "you're dead too!"

"Well, not anymore," said James angrily. "Give me back my boy, Dursley."

"Good!" Vernon spat. "Take him! He's nothing but trouble! I never wanted him in my house to begin with!"

At this, Sirius came forward, raising his wand.

"Hi, remember me?" Sirius said threateningly. "I'm Harry's godfather. You know, the mad mass murderer? Well, say one more thing about my godson and I'll make that statement ring true. Now where is he?"

Vernon eyed Sirius' wand closely, weighing his options. "He's upstairs. The first door you come to."

Sirius, keeping his eyes on Vernon, said, "James, Lily, you go upstairs with Remus. I'll stay down here and keep an eye on things."

Lily, followed by James and Remus, pushed their way past Vernon, throwing nasty looks at him as they went. They reached the top of the stairs and headed to the first door they saw.

"Oh, James," Lily said as they reached the door. "James, look at the locks. Why? Our little boy is in there."

"I don't know, Lily. I just hope he's okay," James said.

Remus walked up to the door and raised his wand. "Alohomora." The locks on the door clicked open, and the door swung open.

Lily slowly crept into the room, James right on her heels. The sight that greeted them was nothing like what they were expecting. Lily expected to see her son maybe sitting on the bed, reading. James had thought he might still be asleep. But not this – this didn't even look like a teenage boy's room.

For starters, it was extremely clean, except for one corner of the room. This particular corner looked as though someone had poured buckets of dark red paint all over the floor and splashed it on the wardrobe near the foot of the bed.

"Blood," said Remus, fully alert. "I smell blood. Harry."

Their eyes traveled to the bed, where they saw a small, very pale boy curled up in a ball. He appeared to be asleep.

"Harry!" Lily gasped as she ran to the bed. "Harry, sweetheart, wake up!"

Lily sat on the edge of the bed, lifting the small frame of her son, holding him close.

James looked around the room, then back to his wife and son. He strode across the room to get a better look at him. James sat down on the bed and noticed the spot where Harry had been laying; it was soaked in blood. He studied the teenager more, noticing the funny look of his left hand and arm, then looked over the rest of his form as well. Harry's right foot hung strangely, too. James also saw that he was swollen in several places. He leaned over and carefully raised Harry's shirt – he was horrified.

Lily was sitting across from him on the bed, holding Harry and quietly crying. She kept repeating the same things over and over, more for her own comfort than anything.

"Harry, sweetheart, wake up. Mummy's here now, darling. Daddy's here. Everything will be alright, baby. It's going to be just fine. You're going to be okay, Harry."

Lily moved to wrap her arm around Harry and he violently twitched, but did not wake. As he twitched, he let out a low moan of pain. Lily's eyes darted to James – she was terrified for their precious boy. Finally, James spoke.

"Moony, go downstairs and see if you and Padfoot can find Harry's stuff. It doesn't look like it's up here. I'll look around and get his things in here."

Remus headed downstairs to Sirius, who still had Vernon backed into a corner, wand trained on him. When Remus reached them, he pushed past Sirius and went straight to Vernon, pressing his wand against his throat.

"Alright, Dursley, where have put Harry's things?" Remus said menacingly.

"Don't point that thing at me!" Vernon choked out.

"Dursley, you aren't in the position to tell people what to do," Remus said. "I should hex you into oblivion right here. The quicker you tell me where his things are, the quicker we'll all be out of your house with Harry."

Vernon seemed to think this over and pointed to the locked cupboard door. Sirius opened it with his wand and looked in the door.

"How is he, Remus?" Sirius asked as he took Harry's broom and trunk out of the cupboard.

"Not good, Sirius," Remus said grimly. "We're going to have to take him to Madame Pomfrey. If that's all his things, I suggest you go see if James and Lily need help."

"He's hurt?" asked Sirius incredulously.

"Yes, and pretty badly from the looks of it."

Sirius started up the stairs, then turned back around and looked at Vernon. "I'm not finished with you, Dursley. Mark my words, you'll get what's due to you."

Then he stalked up the stairs and prepared himself for what he would find there.

James had gathered what few things of his son's that he could find in the room. It wasn't much; a few pieces of clothing, a few books, parchment, quills, and Hedwig's cage. They would have to get him some new clothes. He obviously didn't have nearly enough.

Just then, Sirius walked in the room and looked around. As his eyes took everything in, a look of horror spread across his face. Then he rested his eyes on Harry and his face fell. He rushed to his godson, at a complete loss for words.

Lily looked at him through her tears and said, "Why would someone do this? My baby doesn't deserve this. Why?"

Sirius found his voice, "I don't know, Lily. He's a really good kid. He's a great kid. I highly doubt he did anything to provoke this. But I'll be damned if I let them get away with this. I found his trunk and broom, by the way, James."

"Harry doesn't have anything up here besides what I've gathered up," James said to Sirius. "Would you mind taking it when we go downstairs and put it in his trunk?"

"Sure," Sirius replied. He gathered up the small pile and headed downstairs.

James turned to Lily and said, "Sweetheart, we need to get him to Madame Pomfrey. I'll carry him."

Lily looked sadly at Harry and gently moved from the bed. James reached down and carefully picked him up. Harry moaned, but he didn't wake up.

That's when James noticed Harry's right forearm. It was badly burned and looked infected.

"Lily," he said. "Look at Harry's right arm. I didn't notice at first, but it's burned."

Lily looked at Harry's arm and fresh tears flowed down her cheeks. "Let's go, James," she said. "Let's get him out of here and get him help."

James turned around and carefully carried Harry out of the room. Lily closed the door behind them and they made their way down the stairs.

"He's so light, Lily," James said sadly. "Do you think he gets enough to eat?"

"He will from now on," Lily said. "I'll make sure he has whatever he wants to eat every day up to September first."

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Lily made a beeline for Vernon.

"You!" she hissed. "What happened to my child? When I get done with you, you'll wish I'd killed you! If you thought for one minute you could bring harm to _my_ son and get away with it, you're badly mistaken."

A look of terror was etched on Vernon's face. Suddenly, he was looking straight down Lily's wand. He tried to flash her an apologetic smile, but it turned into more of a grimace.

As Vernon slowly tried to edge away from Lily, she hexed him full in the face. Boils sprouted up all over his ugly face, causing him to choke out a terrified cry. Lily sent another hex to him, this one stinging him all over. Lily thought that both hexes combined would keep him occupied for a while. She lowered her wand and turned to see Sirius and Remus gaping at her.

"What?" she said.

"Well, Lily," Sirius started, "you kinda took the fun out of this for us."

"I never would have expected you to raise your wand to a soul," said Remus, obviously shocked.

"Yeah, well, no one messes with my baby," Lily said fiercely.

As she turned to leave the house, she glanced into the kitchen down the hall. She saw Petunia staring back at her, a mixture of surprise, horror, and apology written on her face. Lily merely gave her sister a cold stare in acknowledgement.

"Come on," James said, readjusting Harry in his arms. "Let's get Harry to Madame Pomfrey."

He was already standing just outside the door, ready to leave. Lily walked out, followed by Sirius and Remus, who were carrying Harry's belongings. They walked down Privet Drive and Apparated to Hogsmeade when they reached the end of the street.

**A/N: Well, that's Chapter 2! Please review! Here is a rough timeline if anyone questions how everything went about that morning:**

**5:30 – Harry's beating.**

**6:00 – Harry sends letter to Sirius**

**6:30-6:45 – Sirius receives letter**

**7:00 – Sirius & Remus alert Lily & James**

**7:30 – group arrives at Number 4**

**Again, if anyone sees any mistakes or something, PLEASE tell me! I love you all for continuing to read this! If you have questions or suggestions, feel free to review or PM me! Also, what should I do with Harry & Ginny's relationship? And Sirius? Both of these questions are pretty important, but I want to know what you guys think! See you all next time! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey there, everyone! First, I want to thank you for your continued interest in my story! It really motivates me to write more and I'm so excited for all the reactions I get. Also, I'm extremely sorry for keeping everyone waiting for this chapter. I've had really bad writer's block, and this was a super hard chapter to write. I've also had to clean my house for my in-laws to come over while I went home for a family reunion, and I'm getting ready for a friend's bridal shower that I'm hosting, plus I start a new job tomorrow. I hope you guys don't hate me too much; it's just life gets in the way sometimes. I'm glad it's behind me! Haha! But as a treat for your patience, this chapter is a lot longer than the others! Thank you guys for all your reviews and favorites and things! If this chapter seems a bit boring, I'm so sorry. But I thought Harry could use some time with his parents. They really need to get to know each other all over again. I've put in some good Harry & Mummy/Daddy time and I have a lot more for other chapters. Lily may seem very emotional or weepy, but she kind of has a reason to be. So bear with her, she'll be back to normal soon. And now, to answer some questions!**

**Rusina – Great question! Physically, James and Lily look somewhat older, but mostly they're the same as when they died. They age very well. Most witches and wizards hold their age well anyway, but I think being 'out of the world' for a while slowed their aging process down a bit. They were 21 when they died, but now they're 35, and they realize this. It's a hard pill for them to swallow, but they're okay with it. Sirius will definitely have a lot more time with Harry, and I think now that James is back, he doesn't feel so bad about encouraging Harry into mischief and giving him ideas. He doesn't have to be the responsible one, and that totally suits him. So we'll see what those two get up to later on. ;)**

**pingo 1387 – Every time I read your review, I laugh so hard. Thanks for that. I felt like Vernon needed his day of reckoning, which is partly why I started writing this. I'm sad to say that his full payback is not in this chapter, however. It will come to him next chapter. But yes, he gets what's coming to him.**

**robert32514 – It most certainly is…**

**CopperCow – Thanks for your input! :) I agree with you, but we'll see what happens. No Harry/Ginny moments this chapter, though. Maybe in the next few chapters! As for Sirius, we'll all find out together, I guess, because I'm still pretty undecided right now.**

**Christmasers – I'm so glad you enjoy it! Thank you for your encouragement! :)**

**Okay, now that all that's behind us, I present to you Chapter 3. Oh, and I'm still not J.K. Rowling… Darn that Polyjuice Potion!**

Chapter 3

Lily and James were very worried parents as they sat (well, Lily was sitting, James was pacing) in the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey had closed the curtain around Harry's bed and hadn't come out for nearly an hour. They heard her mutter things like, "Oh dear" and "This poor child" as she worked. Sirius and Remus couldn't stay seated for very long and decided to go tell Dumbledore what had happened. They hadn't been gone fifteen minutes when Remus came back with Dumbledore.

"Where's Sirius?" James asked.

"He had to go see to some company he was having. Molly and Arthur Weasley and their kids – they're Order members and their kids are friends with Harry. Another girl is with them, she's in Gryffindor and a fifth year as well, she's good friends with Harry too," Remus said quickly. "You'll meet them all soon. How is Harry?"

"No idea, we haven't heard anything since you left," said Lily. "And how can we 'meet them' if we're supposed to be dead?"

"I told Sirius to explain the situation to them," said Dumbledore. "Harry would tell them anyway, and we would have to tell the Order soon. It's easier to keep it on a need-to-know basis right now."

"Okay. And you said their name is Weasley?" said James. "I've heard that name before. Aren't they a pureblood family? They had family in the Order last time too, didn't they?"

"Yes, they did," answered Remus. "Gideon and Fabian Prewett, they were Molly's brothers. Molly and Arthur have seven kids. Their oldest two, Bill and Charlie, are in the Order. Bill works at Gringotts and Charlie works with dragons in Romania. He's trying to help recruit foreign wizards. The there's Percy, he works at the Ministry. The twins, Fred and George, are in their seventh year. Ron, he's just a few months older than Harry, he's Harry's best friend. Hermione Granger, she's their best friend too. Very sweet, very smart girl. And then there's Ginny. She's the only girl of the seven kids. She's in the year below Harry. All the Weasleys have red hair, you'll know them when you see them."

Dumbledore had walked over to the curtain that surrounded Harry's hospital bed. He stepped behind it to talk to Madame Pomfrey, and a few minutes later the curtain was drawn back and Madame Pomfrey emerged.

"Lily, James, your boy has been through a lot," said Madame Pomfrey grimly. "I'm afraid I'll have to keep him here for a few days to monitor his condition. I've given him a dreamless sleep potion, so he won't be awake for several hours."

"Poppy, please tell them exactly what Harry's injuries were," Dumbledore requested.

"Oh, right. Well, James you might want to sit down," Madame Pomfrey said. "Harry several injuries, but it's nothing I haven't seen with Quidditch injuries before. His right ankle was broken, he had a concussion, two broken ribs, one cracked rib, a very infected burn on his right arm, a broken left hand and wrist, along with a lot of cuts and bruises on his back, face, and chest. All over, really. He also seems to be very malnourished. When he wakes up, the first thing he needs is food. I've healed his hand and wrist, along with his ankle and the cracked rib. I've given him something for the concussion and the other two ribs, but they'll take more time to heal because they're such delicate injuries. He's lucky there was no internal bleeding – he's lost a lot of blood already. I've given him a blood replenisher as well. Do you have any idea what happened to him?"

"So, he's going to be okay?" asked James worriedly. "We aren't completely sure what happened, but we have our suspicions. I fully intend to find out when he wakes up."

"Harry will be just fine," Dumbledore confirmed. "But I hope the both of you realize that Harry does not know you are back. Please allow either myself or Remus to explain this to him, or Sirius, if he's back when Harry wakes. He would have quite a shock if he woke up to see both of his parents staring down at him when he thought they were dead."

"Of course, you're right Dumbledore," said Lily. "We hadn't even thought about that, we've just been so eager to see him."

"Well, in that case," said Dumbledore with a smile, "I will leave you all to tend to Harry. Please let me know when he wakes. If you would like, I'll have breakfast sent to you soon."

"That would be great, thank you Albus," Remus said gratefully.

Lily turned to Madame Pomfrey. "Can we see him now?"

"Yes, of course," replied Madame Pomfrey. "I'll be checking on him once every hour until he wakes up. Let me know when he does."

Madame Pomfrey left them to sit with Harry. About ten minutes later, a house elf brought them a full breakfast, complete with three different things to drink, as they hadn't specified what they would like. James and Remus ate heartily, but Lily only nibbled on her bacon; she was too nervous to eat.

After an hour, Sirius walked into the hospital wing looking very worried. He strode over to his friends and pulled up a seat around Harry's bedside.

"How is he?" Sirius asked.

"He's a lot better now, but still recovering," James said. "He'll need to rest for a while, but he should be fine in a few days."

"I'll be more relieved when he wakes up," Lily said.

"What did Arthur and Molly say?" asked Remus, changing the subject.

"Well, everyone is very excited to meet James and Lily," Sirius said. "I haven't told the kids yet about what happened to Harry. I told Molly and Arthur, and Molly was in hysterics, you know how she is. She considers Harry as another son, so she's itching to check on him and fuss over him."

"I'm glad to hear that Harry's had someone to look after him like I would have," Lily said, more at ease than she had been.

"Yeah, Molly loves kids, she feels it her duty to look after any child she comes across," said Remus fondly.

"They want to come see him after he wakes up," said Sirius. "I told Molly it might be best to let him have some time with his parents first, and maybe come tomorrow, if he's feeling up to visitors."

"Okay, that sounds fine," James said. "I look forward to meeting Harry's friends."

They slipped into a comfortable silence, each with their own thoughts. Lily decided to take a nap, as she and James had gotten very little sleep that night.

Shortly after lunch, Harry started to stir. Sirius noticed this and alerted James and Remus. Lily was still asleep on the bed to Harry's left. James went to wake her and Remus drew the curtain around Harry's bed. Harry started to get up and feel around for his glasses, but he hissed in pain and slumped back against his pillows, holding his left side where two of his ribs were healing.

Sirius grabbed his glasses and handed them to Harry. As he put them on and his eyes focused, Sirius spoke to him, "Hey there, mate," said Sirius soothingly. "You gave us quite a scare. How do you feel?"

Harry's eyes grew wide at Sirius and a big smile spread over his face.

"Sirius!" Harry leaned over to give him a hug, but Sirius came to him so as not to cause Harry any more pain. "You-you came! Where are we? And I feel loads better, but I'm still a little sore. Wait, you're not gonna get caught by the Ministry on my account, are you? Merlin, Sirius, I'm sorry! I didn't even think about it!"

Sirius laughed his bark-like laugh at his godson's ramblings. "No, kiddo, I'm in no danger of being caught," Sirius reassured him. "And you have no reason whatsoever to be sorry. Harry, you could have died! Please, always let someone know what's going on. We're in the hospital wing, by the way. Madame Pomfrey has been taking care of you; she'll want to know you're up. But first, we have something to talk to you about."

Harry looked around and saw Remus sitting at the foot of his bed.

"Professor Lupin! But, why are you here? Not that I'm not glad to see you, but I just wasn't expecting it…"

"Harry, I'm not your professor anymore," Remus laughed. "I think just 'Remus' will do."

"Harry, I'm going to get straight to the point," said Sirius. "There's no delicate way to explain this… Something happened, we aren't quite sure what or why, even Dumbledore is stumped. Well, Harry, your mum and dad are… _back._"

Harry couldn't believe his ears. His parents were back, as in, from the dead? How did this happen? Hadn't Dumbledore said nothing could reawaken the dead? So how was this possible? Harry just looked back and forth between Sirius and Remus, waiting for one of them to tell him they were joking, but they didn't.

"This… isn't a joke?" asked Harry.

"Harry, we would never joke about this," Remus said. "We were skeptical at first too, but it really is them."

This seemed to be good enough for Harry. "Where are they? When can I see them?" he said urgently.

Sirius pulled back the curtain surrounding Harry's bed to reveal James and Lily, patiently waiting with smiles on their faces.

"M-Mum? Dad?" Harry asked uncertainly. Lily and James just nodded at him. "It really is you, then? Not a dream or something?"

"Yes, sweetheart, it's us," Lily said, fighting tears again.

Harry couldn't stop himself; he lunged out and wrapped his arms around his parents' waists. He had never been so happy.

James ruffled Harry's hair and put a hand on his back. Harry looked up at them and smiled. He didn't know what to say. He was just happy that he would finally have a real family, just like Ron and Hermione.

"I'll go get Madame Pomfrey," said Remus, smiling.

"Dumbledore said he wanted to see him when he woke up," Sirius said. "I'll go let him know."

For a few minutes, Harry just sat there, staring at his parents. Finally, something good had happened for him. He couldn't believe his luck.

Lily sat on the edge of his bed and pulled him into her arms. She smoothed the hair out of Harry's face and kissed his scar.

Madame Pomfrey walked in, followed by Remus. "Ah, good, Potter, you're up. Now, how does that right arm feel? You had a nasty burn there. How are your head and ribs?"

"Better, loads better," Harry replied. "My ribs still hurt, but I feel a lot better. Thank you, Madame Pomfrey."

She smiled at him an handed him two vials, "This one," she said, holding up on vial, "is for healing. And this one," she said, holding up the second, "is for the pain. I suggest you eat something soon, so you don't get sick."

Harry nodded and made a face as he took his potions. James laughed at his son and said, "It's okay, son, I never liked them either."

Harry handed the vials back to Madame Pomfrey and she said, "He should be used to the taste by now. I see him in my hospital wing at least three times a year if not more."

"Why?!" said Lily, concerned for her son.

"Quidditch, mainly," Harry said grinning.

"You're on the Gryffindor Quidditch team?" asked James excitedly.

"Oh, yeah, since my first year," said Harry proudly. "I'm the 'youngest Seeker in a century' according to everyone I've talked to. My friend, Hermione, showed me your plaque in the trophy room after I made the team because I thought I'd make a fool of myself. How'd you know I'm in Gryffindor?"

"Remus told me," James said simply. "And he also told me you're an excellent flier. I couldn't be more proud."

"I beg to differ, James," Sirius said, walking towards them, Dumbledore following him closely. "There's a lot of stuff Harry hasn't told you two yet."

Harry blushed. He knew he had to tell his parents about everything that had happened in the past four years at Hogwarts, but he didn't want them to think he was bragging. He was so grateful when his mother leaned over and whispered to him, "You don't have to tell us now, sweetheart. We'll talk about it later, when you're ready."

"Harry, I took the liberty of stopping by the kitchens on my way down. You missed breakfast and lunch," said Dumbledore. "I thought you might be hungry. One of the elves will be up soon with your food."

"Thank you, Professor," said Harry.

"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked.

"A lot better, now, thanks to Madame Pomfrey," Harry said.

Just then, Dobby appeared next to Harry's bed, carrying a tray full of food and pumpkin juice.

"Dobby!" Harry exclaimed

"Harry Potter, sir!" the elf squeaked. "The Headmaster comes down to the kitchens and asks us to fix you lunch, sir! Dobby was so excited; Dobby volunteered to brings it to yous! Is Harry Potter hurt, sir?"

"Thanks Dobby," said Harry, grinning. "I'm alright, I just wasn't feeling well. By the way, Dobby, these are my parents."

Harry gestured to his parents and Dobby bent into a low bow. "Dobby is honored to meet Harry Potter's parents. If Mr. and Mrs. Potter needs anything, Dobby would be more than pleased to get it for them!"

"Thank you, Dobby, you're too kind," Lily said, rather amused by the elf.

Dobby smiled at Lily and said, "Dobby must get back to the other elves in the kitchens. They is needing Dobby's help, cooking and cleaning for supper. If Harry Potter or his family needs anything, just call!" And with a loud crack, Dobby disappeared.

"Harry, you know that elf?" James asked.

"Yeah, Dobby's helped me out a few times before," Harry said, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "Why, Dad?"

"Just curious," said James nonchalantly. "Not many students actually know the house elves here by name. Or that house elves even work at Hogwarts, for that matter."

"Harry," said Dumbledore, changing the subject. "I was wondering if you might tell us at your aunt and uncle's to put you here?"

Harry put down his dinner roll and stared at his plate, fully aware that everyone was staring at him.

"I… er – got into a fight," Harry said, still looking at his plate.

"With what, the Whomping Willow?" asked Sirius. "Nice try, Harry, but we're not buying it. Try again."

"Can we just not talk about it? Please?" Harry begged.

"No," James said. "You're my son, and I want to know what happened. Someone has to be held accountable for it."

Harry stared out the window across from him. This was _not_ a conversation he fancied having – with anyone. It was embarrassing and it made him angry. He was mostly angry because it had been happening for so long and he was afraid to do or say anything to stop it. Harry ran a hand through his hair and crossed his arms, determined not to say anything.

"Sweetie, what if I just asked some questions and you told me yes or no?" Lily asked gently. "Would that make it easier to talk about it?"

Harry just shrugged in reply. Lily took this as a yes, and she started asking questions to prompt him.

"Okay, um… Did Vernon do this?" she asked.

Harry nodded, not looking at anyone.

"Is it because of something you said to him, or Dudley, maybe?" Lily asked again.

"No, Mum," said Harry. "It's because I'm just… there. They hate me. I'm a nuisance to them. Just because I'm not like them, I'm a freak and abnormal, according to them. I've always been a burden to them, ever since, how did they put it… I 'darkened their doorstep,' and they 'got landed with me.' Before I got my letter, they thought they could 'stamp the magic out of me'; now I guess they're trying to 'make me see reason' and not come back and instead stay there and go to Muggle school and be a 'normal person.' I'm not even allowed to say the words 'magic', 'broom', 'wand', 'witch', 'wizard', or anything that even remotely relates to our world."

Lily was almost in tears. She turned to James and saw that his jaw was clenched and his fists were balled.

"So, this has happened before, then?" Lily asked shakily.

"Nearly every day since I can remember, except when I'm here or at Ron's," said Harry.

"Why haven't you said something, Harry?" Sirius asked, beating back his own anger. "Why didn't you tell me? Or Ron or Hermione? You know Molly would have been more than happy to let you stay. And there's no way I would've let you go back there if I had've known anything."

"Well, that's not exactly the kind of thing I like to tell people," Harry said defensively. "I don't want people's pity either. I get enough of that as it is…"

"Harry, when was the last time you ate there?" Remus asked. "And we know you don't eat normally there, not like you would at Hogwarts. Madame Pomfrey told us that."

"Er…" Harry started awkwardly.

"Harry, the truth this time," James said. The angry tone in his father's voice seemed to convince Harry to not beat around the bush anymore or try to sugar-coat things.

"Tuesday…at lunch," Harry said quietly.

"What?" James said. Harry started to repeat himself, but James held up his hand. "No, son, I heard you clearly. I just didn't like what I heard."

Harry sat with his hands in his lap and stared at them. _'Great,' _he thought. _'Now I've made Dad mad and Mum's crying. I've only had them back for a day and this is what happens. I suck at this…'_

"Okay, Harry," Sirius said calmly. "What actually happened?"

Without lifting his head, Harry started to tell them. "I…I had a nightmare," Harry said.

"What was this nightmare about?" said Dumbledore seriously.

"The graveyard. I always see that now," said Harry. "Sometimes, I still see what happened when… when I was a baby, but now it's mostly the graveyard. Sometimes it's both."

"And that was it?" said Remus, obviously angry. "You had a nightmare, and that set him off?"

"Well, I sort of… say things in my sleep; loudly," Harry admitted.

"And?" James pressed.

"I, um, got woken up," Harry said.

"To a whole new kind of nightmare, I assume," Remus said through clenched teeth.

"Basically, yeah," said Harry, still looking at his hands.

"How did you get that burn on you arm?" asked Sirius.

"Oh. I, uh," Harry stammered. "I burned some food last night cooking dinner."

"Why were you cooking?" asked Remus. "Especially if you weren't going to get any of it."

"Because they always have me cook breakfast and dinner," Harry said. "Aunt Petunia normally cooks lunch."

"How long is 'always'?" asked James.

"Since I was four, probably," Harry said, slightly embarrassed.

"Harry, that's not you job," said Sirius. "Well, it shouldn't be at least." Harry just shrugged.

"Something tells me that your arm getting burned wasn't an accident," said Remus.

Harry shook his head no.

"So, it got burned because you accidently burned some food, is that it?" asked James. "And I'll bet you didn't even do it, did you?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "And no, I didn't…"

"I knew it! Damn it!" said James.

"James, language!" Lily warned.

"Oh, right, sorry," said James. "But this is just unacceptable. They aren't getting away with this."

"Yeah, with you on that, mate," said Sirius angrily.

"Yes, I have to agree," Remus said menacingly.

"Please, don't," said Harry. "I just… As much as I hate them, I just want to forget it and let them be."

"We'll just have a little talk with them," said James. "A nice little chat."

"Honestly, Dad," said Harry, "I'm afraid of what your 'little chat' might consist of…"

James, Sirius, and Remus laughed at Harry's remark.

"Harry, sweetie," said Lily, changing the subject, "why don't you finish your lunch? I know you must be hungry."

"Okay Mum," Harry obliged.

"Well, Harry," said Dumbledore, "thank you for sharing your story with us and being honest. I am so sorry that you went through such an ordeal on top of everything else. I will be back to talk to you about everything later, but for now, I have to attend to other pressing matters."

"Thank you, Professor," said Harry, bidding Dumbledore farewell.

Harry then turned back to his forgotten lunch and started to eat again. He barely took the time to process the food going into his mouth he was so hungry. The food was amazing (as usual), even if it was slightly colder than normal.

Once Lily had seen that her son was eating something, she bent down, kissed the top of Harry's head, and told him she was going to speak to James and see what they were up to.

Sirius, Remus, and James had stepped outside the doors of the hospital wing to discuss what they had heard. Lily overheard what they were saying as she neared the doors.

"I say we go now, while Harry's eating so he doesn't know about it…" James whispered.

"We could go when he's asleep instead," suggested Sirius.

"I don't want to do anything rash," argued Remus.

"We can't let them think they've gotten away with this though, Moony," Sirius argued back.

"Yes, but be rational. If any of us were caught in a Muggle neighborhood…" said Remus.

"Which is why we're going at night!" James insisted.

Lily stepped out from behind the door, ending their conversation.

"Lily!" said James. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine," replied Lily. "Harry's fine. I heard your conversation, by the way."

"And you want in?" Sirius asked hopefully.

"You wish. No, I'm siding with Remus on this," she said.

"Damn," said Sirius as Remus threw her a grateful look.

"But Lily, sweetheart," James said, attempting to persuade her. "Think of what they did to him. To our son. Doesn't that make you angry?"

"Of course it does," said Lily. "I'd love nothing more than to torture the lot of them, but then how does that make me any better than a Death Eater if I did? And remember how Harry feels about it. It upsets him just to talk about it. He just wants to get past this and have a normal family."

"Yeah, I know…" said James resignedly.

"So that's why," Lil said with a mischievous look in her eyes, "you aren't going to let him know about your plans. Not even a hint. And you aren't going to use magic on them. You'll go at night, after he's asleep."

"I knew I married you for a reason!" James said excitedly, picking her up and spinning her around.

"Traitor," Remus said, smiling just the same.

"He won't know a thing, we promise!" said Sirius.

"Good luck, guys," said Lily smiling. "Now, I'm going to get a shower because I feel disgusting. You – " she said, pointing to James, " – get to have father/son bonding time while I'm gone."

"I'm okay with babysitting duty," James said happily.

"In case you haven't noticed, Prongs," said Sirius, "Harry's not a baby anymore. He's almost grown."

"Don't remind me, Padfoot," said James sadly.

The men walked back into the hospital wing just as Harry was finishing lunch. Harry looked up at them and smiled.

"Done already?" said James.

Harry gave his father a sheepish look; he still wasn't quite sure how to act with his parents.

"Your mum has stuck us with babysitting duties," Sirius joked.

"I'm not a baby…" mumbled Harry.

"Say, Harry, did anyone ever tell you about our Hogwarts days?" James asked.

"No," said Harry eagerly.

"Oh, this'll be good then," James said. "Well, we were quite the young geniuses in our day… We designed this map of Hogwarts – "

"Yeah, the Marauder's Map!" said Harry excitedly. "It's dead useful."

"Wait, you _have_ our map?" asked James, a proud light shining in his eyes. "Wicked."

"Oh, yeah," said Harry. "A couple of my friends nicked it from Filch's office in their first year. They gave it to me to help me sneak into Hogsmeade in my third year because my permission slip didn't get signed. Sirius signed it last year, so I don't have to sneak in anymore. I use the map to get around the castle and keep out of trouble." He noticed Remus raising his eyebrows in a slightly disapproving way at him. "Oops…" Harry said. "I just got myself in a lot of trouble, didn't I? Me and my big mouth."

"Well, seeing as I am no longer your professor, Harry, you're safe," Remus said, amused. "I couldn't really reprimand you anyway, even if I was, because then I'd be a hypocrite."

Harry sighed in relief. James and Sirius were almost glowing with pride.

So for the next hour or so, James, Sirius, and Remus regaled Harry with stories from their days at Hogwarts, and Harry told his dad about Ron and Hermione, Ron's family, and the adventures they had had so far.

Lily came back to the hospital wing after her shower and smiled as she watched her husband and son talk and laugh. She didn't want to interrupt the moment, but Harry had already spotted her, shouting, "Mum! Where'd you go?"

She smiled and walked toward him. "I went to take a shower. Going fourteen years without one wasn't the brightest idea. You didn't miss me too terribly, did you?"

Before Harry could answer, James spoke, "Of course he didn't. I was entertaining him. He never even noticed you were gone."

"I did too!" said Harry indignantly.

Lily laughed. "I know, sweetheart. Dad shouldn't tell such terrible lies on you should he?"

James made a face at Lily as she bent to wrap her arms around Harry. "Yeah, I know, he's your favorite."

Harry stuck his tongue out at James when Lily said, "Of course he is. He's my baby, my only child. He's always been my favorite."

"Cheeky bugger," James said, ruffling Harry's hair. "He's half mine, too, you know."

"Oh yes," Lily said, eyeing her son suspiciously. "I can only imagine what he's inherited from you, James. But being that he's my son aw well, he's completely perfect. It runs in my family."

"Uh, Mum," Harry interjected, "I don't think it runs completely in your side… I mean, look at Aunt Petunia. What happened there?"

James roared with laughter and Lily fought a smile. " I didn't say _everyone_ got that particular gene, dear."

They sat like this for a while, just laughing and enjoying being a family. Eventually, Lily got around to fussing over Harry's hair – how desperately he needed a haircut, and did it ever behave? She swore she would tackle it whenever he was released from the hospital. Harry just ignored his mother's fussing; he was actually sort of enjoying it.

"Hey, you guys," said Sirius, "I hate to interrupt Potter Family Time, but I thought you'd like to know that dinner will be up soon."

"Thanks Sirius," said Lily. Sirius just waved a hand in acknowledgement as he went to wake Remus for dinner.

"Harry, are you hungry now?" asked Lily. "I know you just ate not long ago, but I didn't know if you might be hungry again."

Harry thought about this for a second and decided he would try to eat a bit more before he had to go to bed.

Soon dinner was served and everyone tucked in gratefully. As they started eating, Sirius turned to Harry. "Harry, I was talking to Molly Weasley earlier today," said Sirius, "Molly and Arthur are in the Order of the Phoenix with us; it's a secret organization to help fight against Voldemort. We were all in it last time as well. Anyway, they've been staying at headquarters with the kids to help out over the summer. You know how Molly fusses, and if you're feeling up to it, they'd like to come see you tomorrow."

"Sure, I'd love to see them!" Harry agreed enthusiastically.

"Okay, I'll tell Molly then," Sirius chuckled.

They ate the rest of their dinner in silence, and before long, Harry was feeling extremely sleepy. Harry stifled a yawn and Lily smiled at him. It wasn't very late, but Harry needed all the rest he could get.

"Tired, sweetheart?" asked Lily.

"Mhmm," Harry mumbled.

"We had better go and let you get some rest, Harry," Remus said.

Sirius ruffled Harry's hair and said, "See you in the morning, kiddo. I'll tell the Weasleys and Hermione you said 'hey.'"

"Thanks Sirius," Harry said sleepily.

James bent and kissed the top of Harry's head. "Good night, son."

"Night Dad," said Harry with a smile.

Lily started to say good night to Harry as well, but Harry grabbed her hand and said, "Mum, will you stay with me? Or Dad, I'm not picky. Just until I fall asleep. Just for tonight. It's just…I feel better with one of you here; I don't think so much about things."

Lily gave Harry a sad smile and started to speak. Before she could say anything, he quickly added, "You don't have to. I understand, you're tired too. You both are. It was just a thought. I'm fifteen; I should be able to go to sleep on my own, properly. I'm sorry."

She looked down at her son, who was already lying down to go to sleep, and said, "Harry, sweetheart, you have no reason to apologize. We all just got our family back, and we've spent so little time together. There's so much we missed over the years. I would love to stay with you, darling. After all you've been through, it's going to take a lot more than being tired for me to leave you."

Harry looked up at Lily with the biggest smile she had seen him smile. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tight. It felt so good to finally have a mother, his mother, here to comfort him. "Thank you, Mum. It means a lot. Well, good night."

"You're more than welcome, dear," said Lily. "Good night, my sweet boy. And Harry, I love you."

Harry looked up at Lily, slightly confused.

"What sweetheart?" she said. "I just said 'I love you.'"

"Yeah, I know," said Harry slowly. "No-no one's ever said that to me before is all. I wasn't expecting it. I-I love you too, Mum."

"Harry, we have a lot to talk about in the morning," Lily said, trying not to cry. She had thought surely someone had told him how much he was loved.

"Am I in trouble?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Goodness no, dear!" said Lily. "Your father and I just have a lot to talk to you about, that's all."

"Oh," said Harry, relieved. "Okay. Night Mum."

"Good night, sweetie," Lily said, kissing the top of Harry's head as he settled down into bed.

As Harry drifted off to sleep, Lily studied her precious son's face. He had seen so much, done so much, and been through so many things in his short life. It wasn't fair – he's such a sweet child.

Harry snuggled his head into her side in his sleep. Lily smoothed his hair off his face and rubbed his back. When she heard him lightly snoring, she got up to leave, kissing his cheek as she did.

Before she left the hospital wing, Lily whispered to Harry, "Mummy's here, baby. I'll always be right here. I'm not going anywhere. I love you so much, darling. More than you know."

**A/N: And that's Chapter 3! I hope you guys liked it. I wrote the ending a long time before I wrote the rest of the chapter. It's sweet to me. So, remember, reviews make me happy! I dearly hope that I can crank out another chapter a lot faster this time than this week. Again, I'm sorry about that! Until next time. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: You guys, I apologize profusely for the agonizingly long wait. I know, it's completely unacceptable. I just got really started at my new job, the hubby & I are in the process of moving (thank God), and my summer classes at the university are about to start soon. I also participated in wedding festivities as a bridesmaid for one of my best friends. It's been so hectic. I'm hoping things will calm down now!**

**Anyway, this is the next chapter. I hope you guys like it. I'm not done with Vernon's payback. It's explained in the story. This might not be exactly what some of you had in mind, but I thought Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs needed reunited bonding time. :) Plus, it was a bit hard to write a decent 'payback' scene. He'll get his comeuppance, though.**

**Thank you guys for being so patient with me. I'm forever grateful for all the reviews, follows, and favorites that I've received. It really makes me excited to keep writing! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: My magic genie won't grant my wish to be J.K. Rowling. So, unfortunately, I still don't own Harry Potter. Just the plot to this story and the idea of it.**

* * *

Chapter 4

The three men that stood at the end of Privet Drive obviously did not belong there. They didn't seem to care, however, as they looked to be on a very grim mission. They were stopped at the end of the street, talking furiously in hushed voices and casting dark looks and glares at Number 4.

"…we have to know exactly what we're going to do before we walk up to the door; we need to have this clearly thought out," James said.

"I say we just Apparate straight in the sitting room and let the hexes fly," said Sirius angrily. "I want at those scum and to give them what they deserve as quickly as possible so we can get back to Harry."

"Honestly Sirius," said Remus, who was positively seething, "as much as the wolf in me agrees with you both and wants revenge, I still think we should talk to Dumbledore about taking this to the Ministry. Madame Bones has always highly respected Dumbledore. The full might of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement on them I think would do quite a bit more to them than we could. I mean, this is a bit mad. Harry doesn't even approve…"

Remus' lecture seemed to spark an epiphany of sorts in James and Sirius. Maybe it was the idea of Harry being disappointed in them that changed their minds, but they had both adopted a more somber look when he had finished.

"Of course, Moony," said James finally, sounding defeated. "You're absolutely right, as usual. I just got my son back; I don't want him to think his father is a git. But bloody hell, I sure feel like one."

Sirius looked to be at war with himself. "Alright," he relented, "but could we at least give them a _parting gift_ until we get someone to look into it? I can't stand the idea of them even _thinking_ they've got away with this or that it's over."

They all looked at each other for a minute, contemplating their next move. It was Remus who broke their silence.

"Well, I don't see what that could hurt," he said dangerously. "A little reminder that we haven't forgotten them and are pressing the matter might be in order."

"Excellent," said James and Sirius. The three turned and headed down the street.

When they reached the outside of Number 4, they looked in the window. Its inhabitants seemed blissfully unaware that there were three wizards standing just outside who would love nothing better than to tear them limb from limb. The Dursleys were watching television, and seemed perfectly content to do nothing.

"Well, let's get on with it," said James, sounding angrier than his two friends had ever heard.

"Anyone care to suggest some ideas?" asked Sirius.

"I have a few," said Remus wickedly. "We could bewitch things to attack them when they touch it…"

Sirius grinned. "So you haven't given up your old pranking ways, eh, Moony? You've been holding out on me."

"How about charming things to make noise constantly?" supplied James. "Causing stuff to just…happen? Bewitch the toilets to overflow, the cupboards to just open and dump their contents, explode some pipes, rugs to snatch themselves out from under them when they walk on them."

Sirius and Remus looked at each other and saw their wicked grins mirrored on each other's face.

"I really have missed you, Prongs," said Remus excitedly.

"I would hope so," said James, though this comment obviously touched him. "Now, let's hurry; I miss my son."

They set about their new plan, going from window to window and bewitching everything in sight that could move to do something and fight whoever might be unfortunate enough to walk past or touch it. Thanks to Sirius, every time someone tried to sit at the table, the chairs would move themselves farther from the table, keeping anyone from sitting down. James had cursed the sink to continuously run water after it was turned on and the sink sprayer to wreak havoc. Remus charmed doors to open randomly and cupboards and drawers to open and shut when they were passed. The TVs were bewitched to constantly change channels, making it impossible to choose a channel. They charmed the dishes to zoom across the room out of the owners' hands and smash into walls. They were thoroughly enjoying themselves, thinking of all the trouble their spells would be causing the Dursleys over the next few days.

"I think we've done enough," said Remus with a grim look.

Sirius and James were putting the finishing touches on their contributions; Sirius had charmed the staircase to turn into a slope that would make the stairs disappear, making it almost impossible to reach the upstairs. James had created invisible walls at the entrance to the kitchen and the back door.

"They won't know what hit them," said James with a smirk.

"It'll be like their house is fighting back against them," said Sirius, sounding extremely pleased.

"I'd love to stay and watch our handiwork for a bit," said Remus, "but we really do need to get back to Harry. Our marauding is done here."

Sirius and James nodded in agreement and lowered their wands. The three set off down the street, leaving no visible trace that they were ever there.

* * *

Lily sat in a chair next to her son's hospital bed, just watching him sleep. If this was what condition he was in after less than a month… Lily hated to think what could have happened to him if someone hadn't gotten him for the entire summer. What had happened to him before? This obviously was not the first time this had happened. But to what extent had things gone in the past?

The guys had not been gone very long; maybe half an hour at the most. But Lily was content here, just watching Harry sleep. He seemed peaceful, but he didn't look exactly relaxed. He had been through so much that he didn't deserve. Right now, as he slept, Lily thought back to when he was a baby and she would watch him sleep. It seemed like only yesterday, but he had changed and grown up so much since then. Even though he was nearly grown, Lily wanted to scoop him up and hold him and never let go.

She reached out to hold Harry's hand just as James, Sirius, and Remus walked in. After a minute, she let him hand go and got up to meet the three Marauders.

"How is Harry?" asked James before kissing her on the cheek.

"He's been sound asleep ever since you lot left," said Lily fondly. "What did you do, by the way? You weren't gone long."

The three wizards shared a glance and smirked.

"We didn't _do_ anything to them directly," said James slyly. "We're letting their house do our bidding."

"When we got there, we decided that it might be counter-productive if we attacked. Harry just wants to move on from it, and it wouldn't help him if we all went to Azkaban for attacking Muggles. We decided to ask Dumbledore to talk to Madame Bones about what could be done. But we figured a little mean-spirited pranking wouldn't hurt anyone," explained Remus with a roguish grin.

Lily laughed and asked, "What did you do? You have to tell me!"

Sirius quickly obliged. He relished both the opportunity to be pulling pranks with his best friends again and to tell someone of their excitement. "We charmed and bewitched everything that could move or make noise to do it. They'll have one hell of a time trying to cook and eat on their dishes for a good while. I'd love to see them try to get upstairs; Merlin, that would be hilarious. All their doors and cupboards are going to constantly be opening and closing, thanks to Moony. Prongs built invisible walls all over the place – they won't even see it coming. I'd be willing to call it our masterpiece."

Lily was laughing so hard she was crying. "That is perfect. Genius."

"You really should consider coming with us sometime," said James, trying to coax Lily into being a prankster.

"No, James, I think I'll leave that to you," said Lily coolly. "Besides, I couldn't leave Harry. Not now."

The four adults turned to look at said child, who was currently sleeping in his hospital bed. He was twitching in his sleep, and that concerned them. James moved to Harry's side and took his son's hand. He reached up to run a hand through Harry's hair when he noticed something unusual.

"He has a fever," James said quietly. "He's burning up."

"It's probably the potions," said Remus. "The potions are speeding up his healing process and increasing his body temperature. It's normal – it should break before he wakes up again."

"That doesn't keep me from being worried though," said James, eyeing Harry cautiously.

Harry began to moan in his sleep. His twitching became more like spasms and he started to whimper.

"He's dreaming," said Sirius. "I wonder what it's about."

"No… Please, no," Harry moaned, as if on cue. "Please, stop. Don't! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

Harry had begun to get louder with each word. He was shouting, thrashing in his sleep, attempting to fight off an unseen attacker. James and Sirius had started to shake him lightly, pleading for him to wake up, that it was only a dream. Harry screamed, agonizing and painful screams that were terrifying for anyone to hear.

"Harry? Harry! Wake up, son!" pleaded James, shaking Harry and pulling him close. "Harry, son, it's only a dream! It's not real! Wake up, look at me! You're here, with me and Mum, and Uncle Padfoot and Uncle Moony. Come on, Prongslet. Wake up for Daddy."

James was half-crying himself. Seeing his boy in such terror was heart wrenching, and not being able to do anything about it made it that much worse. He would have gladly fought all of the demons that plagued his son's dreams if it meant that Harry could have a little peace. James pulled Harry tight to his chest as the boy screamed in terror, gently rocking him and whispering comforting words in his ear.

Harry's breathing hitched and he choked out a sob. James rubbed his back and ran a hand through Harry's hair.

"Harry? Come on, wake up, kiddo," said Sirius soothingly. "Your dad is a mess; you're scaring us, mate."

Harry gave a jerk and his eyes flew open, looking around wildly. Lily placed his glasses on his face quickly.

"Sweetheart?" she said calmly. "It's okay, Harry. It was just a bad dream."

Harry was shaking and sobbing. As he slowly came out of his post-dream fog, he realized someone was holding him still. Harry struggled against his father's strong hold, but he quickly gave up after seeing there was no point in fighting. He allowed James to hold him while he sobbed, still not entirely aware of his surroundings.

"I'm-I'm s-sorry…" Harry choked out after he had calmed down. "I d-didn't mean t-to wake y-you."

James and Lily stared at each other before looking at Sirius and Remus. They all looked back at Harry in confusion as he sobbed into his dad's chest.

"Harry, none of us were asleep," said Remus. "You haven't been asleep long either."

"Breathe, Harry, breathe," said Sirius, attempting to calm him.

"Y-you aren't m-mad?" Harry asked fearfully.

"Of course not, sweetheart," replied Lily, who now had tears in her eyes as well. "It was a nightmare. You can't help that. We could never be angry with you over a nightmare."

Harry looked at his mother in disbelief. Why weren't they angry with him? He had made so much noise, even if it hadn't woken them up, surely they were at least annoyed with him?

"Would it help to tell us what it was about, son?" asked James, rubbing a comforting hand up and down Harry's back.

"Dursleys," was all Harry offered.

The four adults shared a sad and slightly concerned look.

"Oh, Harry," whispered Sirius.

Harry sniffed and buried his face in his father's now wet t-shirt. James kissed the top of Harry's head and whispered comforting words to him.

"Here, let me," said Lily, pulling Harry from James' arms and into her own.

"S-sorry about your shirt, D-Dad," Harry muttered.

"My shirt? Harry, that's nothing to worry about," James said.

Lily held the still shaking and silently crying Harry tight, wiping the tears from his cheeks as they continued to fall. "Shh, Harry, it's okay, darling. Will one of you go fetch Poppy? He needs either Dreamless Sleep or a calming potion."

"I will," Sirius offered.

As he left, James spoke to his son. "Harry," he said cautiously, "you do know we would never hurt you, right? Especially not over a nightmare. Not your mum, not me, not Sirius, not Remus; not a single one of us would ever lay a hand on you. You understand that, right?"

Harry paused for a moment before answering. Slowly, he nodded and quietly said, "Yes, sir."

"Good," said James placing a hand on the back of Harry's head. "And son, you don't have to call me 'sir.' That's your professors; I'm just 'Dad,' okay?"

Harry nodded his reply and Sirius came walking back down the wing with Madame Pomfrey hot on his heels.

"Okay, Potter, drink this," the mediwitch said, thrusting a vial into his hand.

"Why? What is it?" asked Harry, eyeing the vial suspiciously.

"Dreamless Sleep Potion," she answered simply. "No dreams, good or bad, and it allows you to sleep peacefully through the night. You've had it before. Now drink up."

Harry made a face but took the potion obediently. Madame Pomfrey took the vial back and left the room.

Lily and James were staring at Harry, concern etched on their faces. Harry sniffed and hiccupped as he calmed down, his mother still holding him tight, now humming to him. The adults shared a look between them; this was going to be a long road.

Harry yawned and settled back into his mother's arms. The Dreamless Sleep Potion was working rather quickly. He started to nod off and Lily moved to put him back against his pillows. Harry jerked back into consciousness, staring at his family around his bed.

"Stay?" asked Harry quietly, fighting sleep.

"Of course, Prongslet," said James.

"I haven't left yet, darling, and I don't plan to," said Lily lovingly.

"Whatever you want, pup," said Sirius.

Remus merely nodded in agreement with his friends. Harry settled back down into his pillows, and he quickly gave way to sleep.

"Poor baby," whispered Lily sadly.

"He thought he was back at that awful place," said Remus solemnly.

They all sat in silence for a few minutes, staring at the small teenage boy in front of them.

"We had better go," Sirius said quietly. "Molly will be frantic, and I'm sure the kids will want to know how Harry is and when they can see him."

"So, we'll see you guys tomorrow?" Remus confirmed.

"Yeah, see you guys in the morning," said James, then he added, "We'll let you know if anything happens."

The two nodded; Sirius bent to kiss Harry's forehead and whispered, "Sleep well, pup."

Remus ruffled Harry's hair and said, "Good night, Harry," before turning and walking out of the hospital wing with Sirius.

Shortly after Sirius and Remus left, Lily turned to her husband, her eyes full of concern.

"Do you think he'll be alright, James?" she asked worriedly.

"I sure hope so, Lily," said James sadly. "I was expecting… I don't know, maybe that he would be a little upset, growing up without us, but never this."

Lily nodded her silent agreement. They sat like this holding each other and watching Harry sleep. They couldn't bear to leave him alone, so they slept in the hospital wing as well.

* * *

_Grimmauld Place_

Sirius and Remus stepped through the fireplace after having flooed from the Headmaster's office. It had been such a long day.

They walked in the dining room and sat down at the table. All the Weasleys, Hermione, Tonks, and even Kingsley Shacklebolt and Mad-Eye Moody were there and were throwing them questioning looks. Sirius ran a hand through his hair and sighed, '_What am I going to tell them?'_ he thought.

Finally, it was Kingsley who broke the silence. "Well? How is Harry?"

Sirius shared a look with Remus. The werewolf looked older than Sirius had ever seen him.

"I expect Arthur and Molly have filled you in about Lily and James?" Remus asked tiredly. Tonks, Kingsley, and Mad-Eye all nodded.

"Wait, what's wrong with Harry?" Ron interjected. "All we were told was that Harry needed some time with his parents, not that something was wrong!"

All the kids suddenly looked quite alarmed: why had no one told them about their friend's condition?

Sirius and Remus sighed again; of course, they had forgotten to inform the kids. They were going to let Harry tell them on his own, but now their cover was blown. They might as well do it now and save Harry the trouble.

"Ron, Hermione, how much has Harry told you about what goes on at his aunt and uncle's house?" asked Sirius.

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look and shifted uncomfortably.

"Well…" started Ron, "He's never been really specific about it; he really only told us how much he hates it there and that they aren't too fond of him."

"We have…suspicions, though," said Hermione slowly. "He's really jumpy when someone touches him on accident or he isn't expecting it. It's just…some things Harry has let slip before; they're a bit unnerving."

"Such as?" asked Remus.

"Well, I think, if I remember the conversation right," Ron said, "at the end of second year, Hermione asked him if his aunt and uncle would be proud of all he'd done that year… He said something along the lines of, 'Proud? Are you mad? All the times I could have died and didn't manage it? They'll be furious.' We thought that was an odd thing to say. He's said things like that ever year when something happens."

"And we know they starve him," added Hermione quickly. "when Ron and the twins came to get him the summer before second year, Ron told me there were bars on his window. We've both sent him food nearly every summer. I don't know what he did before Hogwarts – he never talks about that."

Sirius' fists were clenched on his chair. Remus looked murderous. This was news to nearly everyone in the room. Sirius found his voice after a few minutes, "What about anything else? Have you ever physically seen anything?"

Hermione shook her head, but Ron paused. He seemed to be putting two and two together. Finally, he said, "Well, maybe. A couple of times, I think. But Harry's good at hiding things and he's always getting hurt. It could have been nothing."

Everyone stared at him. Hermione softly said, "Ron, you never told me that. Why?"

Ron shrugged. "Harry asked me not to. He wanted it to stay between us because he didn't want anyone to fuss. But now…"

"Ron, I assure you," said Sirius quietly, "whatever you saw, it wasn't 'nothing.'"

"What happened to him?" questioned Hermione. She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"What we tell you cannot leave this room," warned Remus. "Harry didn't even want us to know about this, and he would rather forget about it. He has been through quite an ordeal and it will take some time for him to get past it."

"Harry was abused. Badly," said Sirius bluntly. The room was silent. Sirius continued, "Apparently, it's been going on since he can remember being there. When we got to him this morning… I honestly thought it was too late. There was so much blood; Merlin, the blood. I can't even imagine what he went through. It's no wonder he was unconscious."

Everyone was staring at him; Sirius put his head in his hands, forcing himself not to break down. Mrs. Weasley was mumbling, "That poor, poor boy." Hermione was crying into Ron's shoulder, and Fred was holding Ginny because she was shaking so violently.

"Why didn't he ever tell anyone?" asked Tonks, horror-struck.

"Harry doesn't like to worry anyone or bring attention to himself," answered Remus. "When we asked him that same question, he said, 'Well, that's not exactly the kind of thing I like to tell people.' And that he didn't want anyone's pity. He probably thought there was nothing anyone could do about it anyway, so he didn't bother. He was quite embarrassed that anyone found out."

"So he's awake?" asked Fred.

"When can we see him?" asked George.

"Slow down, boys," said Sirius. "He was awake earlier, but that was just after lunch. Lily made him go to bed early, right after dinner. He, er – woke up a little bit ago and Poppy had to give him a dose of Dreamless Sleep. He's had a rough day."

"So far," said Remus, "he's planning on seeing you all tomorrow, if he's up to it. He's been in so much pain today that Madame Pomfrey's had to keep him in an enchanted sleep. Hopefully, he can go home tomorrow afternoon, but knowing Poppy she'll want to keep him another night if he's not up to where she wants in his recovery."

"You said he was hurt badly," said Mr. Weasley. "How bad?"

Sirius shared a look with Remus before listing all of Harry's injuries. There was a steady collection of gasps and the occasional sob from Mrs. Weasley or Hermione as the list went on.

"I wonder if James and Lily thought to ask for a past and present diagnostic scan?" Sirius thought out loud.

"Probably not," said Remus. "They were too upset. But that would be an interesting thing to see. We could find out just how much damage was done before Hogwarts."

"Is Harry going to be alright?" Ron asked quietly.

"He should be just fine," said Sirius, sounding very tired. "But he's going to need the understanding and support of his friends. He's worried he'll be treated differently, and it's very important that no one does. Mentally, he's been through a lot as well."

"We basically have to undo everything the Dursleys did," said Remus. "From the way they treated him to how they made him think about himself; it won't be easy."

Hermione and the Weasley kids looked around at each other. They knew this would be a long road, but they were willing to do anything to help their friend.

"Alright, you lot," Mrs. Weasley sniffed. "Off to bed. We all have a busy day tomorrow."

The kids groaned, but obeyed Mrs. Weasley's orders. Everyone was too upset about Harry to argue much.

The adults stayed up for a while later, talking mostly about Order business and how Harry was reacting to having his parents back. Eventually, it was getting pretty late, and Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Kingsley had to leave.

When they left, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley decided they should go to bed as well, leaving Sirius and Remus to stay awake in the kitchen for a while, still discussing Harry's condition and how others would react to James and Lily's return.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so that was Chapter 4. It wasn't my best chapter ever, I know. We got to see the Weasleys this time! Yay! Next chapter, everybody FINALLY gets to meet Lily and James, and Harry gets to see his friends. Plus more! Maybe an Order meeting, where the truth comes out about Lily and James being back? Maybe we'll get to see how Snape reacts! Hopefully, I'll get the next chapter up a bit more quickly than this time. I look for the next chapter to be longer; but if it's too long, I might have to split it into multiple. On your way out, just go down to that little review box and tell me what you thought. :) Thanks, loves!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: You guys, I am so sorry for the super long wait! I hope no one gave up on me! We've finally moved, & then I got sick, and I was going crazy trying to get through my first week of classes and do work too. I was so exhausted. But maybe now I'll finally have a little more time, since I've only got to get our stuff unpacked & a couple of tests & one class a week. It shouldn't be so bad. But enough of my blabber, here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I really am J.K. Rowling, and like Gilderoy Lockhart, I erased her memory, also took her name, and took her work. Now I write fanfictions. Just kidding, I'm not the honorable Ms. Rowling. A dream is a wish your heart makes…**

* * *

Chapter 5

Harry Potter awoke in his hospital bed the next morning surprisingly not surrounded by family for the first time since his parents' return. He was so warm and comfortable; he was still groggy from his potion the night before, and he wanted to fall back to sleep. Voices coming from the other side of the door at the other end of the hospital wing told him he wouldn't be alone for long once Madame Pomfrey or one of his parents saw that he was awake. Harry decided to sit up, but he immediately regretted it – his ribs were still smarting, and his back was not completely healed yet. His head was throbbing, and he groaned and fell back into his pillows. He focused on the voices coming from outside the hospital wing, deciding to wait until someone else came in to move again.

Harry heard several voices float into the wing, few of which he recognized. He could pick out his mother and father's voices, his godfather, Remus, Dumbledore, and was that Professor McGonagall and Professor Moody? Harry strained to hear what they were saying.

"…said Harry has had a very rough summer," he heard Professor McGonagall say. He felt a surge of embarrassment that his Head of House was brought into this. "Should I, as the Head of Gryffindor House, be aware of anything?"

There was a pause in conversation, and Harry heard Dumbledore say, "Minerva, Harry's aunt and uncle were abusive towards him."

McGonagall gasped. "How badly?" she asked, horrified.

This time, Madame Pomfrey answered. "He had so many injuries. I have honestly never seen that many injuries on a person – child or adult – at one time. Some are still healing. He is severely malnourished and has to take a nutrient potion twice daily. He's sleep-deprived as well, and I've had to give him two sleeping potions since he's been here, partly so he won't feel the pain. He has to take pain potions every few hours, as well as have his dressing changed and burn and bruise pastes applied."

"Sweet Merlin," said a female voice Harry didn't recognize.

"Potter will be okay, though?" came Moody's voice.

"Physically, yes," replied Madame Pomfrey. "Emotionally, the damage has been done. What will help him best now is rest and being with people who actually care for him."

"My poor baby," he heard his mother say quietly. Harry smiled at her voice. It was nice to know that she and his father were so close by, and that they cared so much.

"It's time to give him his potions," said Madame Pomfrey, "and to reapply the dressings and pastes."

Harry was grateful for this – his ribs and back were beginning to smart fiercely again. His burned arm was throbbing. It hurt to move much, so Harry just turned his head and waited for Madame Pomfrey to give him his potions.

He was not disappointed; Madame Pomfrey walked swiftly down the hospital wing, potion vials and two jars of creams in hand.

"Ah, good, you're awake," she said conversationally. "You have quite a few guests."

Harry smiled at the mediwitch as she handed him his glasses and the potions and began to work on the dressing on his arm. Harry mumbled a small "Thanks" as he finished the pain potion.

When she had finished assessing his injuries, Madame Pomfrey set off back down the wing and out the door. "He's awake," she said to all the people waiting.

Harry heard a rush as several sets of footsteps headed for the door. The first thing he saw was his mother, closely followed by his father, both of who were quickly walking towards him. Before he knew what was happening, they were at his bedside and Harry was surrounded by thick, dark red hair. Lily had scooped Harry into a hug, which startled Harry, causing him to jump and tense unconsciously before he fully realized what was happening. Lily took note of this behavior, but showed no sign of having noticed.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Lily said, releasing Harry and giving him a bright smile. "Happy Birthday!"

This took Harry by surprise – he had completely forgotten the date.

"Morning Mum," said Harry with a wide grin. "Erm, thanks. I'd kind of forgotten what day it was."

"Happy Birthday, son," said James brightly, also pulling Harry into a hug. Harry's grin widened even more.

After a chorus of "Happy Birthdays" from the crowd around his bed, Lily addressed Harry again.

"I'm so sorry you have to spend your birthday in the hospital," she said sadly. "But Harry, I promise, when you're released and feel up to it, we'll have a huge party for you with presents and cake and whatever you want."

Harry reddened, but this lifted his mood considerably. "Really? I've never had a party before. But I don't need presents; I've got everything I want now."

This response prompted another fierce hug from his mother.

"But of course you'll have presents, dear," said Lily softly. "You don't realize it yet, but Dad and I have made it our mission in life to spoil you rotten."

"And you have a slightly-crazed godfather who enjoys that pastime as well," quipped Sirius, ruffling Harry's hair.

Harry's face broke out into a huge smile. This was better than he could have ever hoped for.

"Hate to barge in on the love-fest," growled Moody, "but a few of us actually have business here."

"Oh, lighten up, Mad-Eye," said a young witch with bubblegum pink hair. "Nymphadora Tonks at your service, Harry. Call me Tonks, everyone does."

"Nice to meet you," said Harry, and Tonks flashed him a smile.

"Kingsley Shaklebolt, it's a pleasure," said a tall, bald, black wizard who had a deep voice and a warm smile.

After several more people introduced themselves, Dumbledore finally explained, "Harry, these people, including Remus, have volunteered to be your guard. They will be watching out for you should you need to be out in public from here on out, or if you need anything in general."

Harry nodded and looked around at everyone. There were so many people willing to protect him.

"We only came down here to establish the guard with you," Moody said gruffly. "We have an important meeting with Dumbledore."

"Thanks, Alastor," said James.

"If you all will, follow me to my office, please," requested Dumbledore, gesturing to Harry's guard. "Remus, you may stay here and I will fill you in later along with Sirius, Lily, and James, if you prefer."

"Thank you, Albus," said Remus.

Dumbledore led Harry's guard from the hospital wing and Sirius turned to his godson.

"So, Harry," said Sirius with a grin, "think you're up to seeing your friends today? They've been driving me mad about you."

Harry's face lit up; he had been dying to seen Ron and Hermione all summer. "Yes! I'd love to see them!" he said eagerly. The four adults smiled at him – it was so good to see him happy.

"Brilliant. I'll floo Molly," said Sirius brightly. "And if Poppy will ever release you from this bloody hospital wing, maybe you can have dinner with everyone tonight for your birthday, and a party tomorrow. They'll be over as soon as I can get to the Headmaster's office, so be ready."

"Er, Sirius," said Lily, "a quick word?"

"Sure," he said. Sirius quickly followed Lily out of the hospital wing, leaving Harry alone with James and Remus.

"What do you want for your birthday, Harry?" asked James.

"Nothing," replied Harry, dodging his father's question.

"Right then," said James slyly, "surprise you, got it."

Remus laughed. "Oh, now you're in for it, Harry."

"Why?" asked Harry tentatively.

"Because now James is plotting," said Remus. "He wants your birthday to be the best one ever."

"But it already is," said Harry quietly. "I got my parents, and that's all I've ever wanted."

Harry was saved from the argument as Lily walked back into the room. James whispered a quick "We'll talk about this later" to Harry as she resumed her seat.

"What did you want to talk to Sirius about?" asked James.

"Nothing really," Lily said with a smile. "Just something for Harry's party."

Lily smoothed Harry's hair lovingly and he raised his eyebrows at her.

"You can tell me," said Harry playfully. "I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Don't we know," said Lily sarcastically. "No dear, I won't spoil your surprises."

"What do you even want to do to celebrate?" James asked Harry yet again.

Harry thought seriously on this for a moment. What was he supposed to do? He'd never been allowed to be at any of Dudley's parties.

"Um, I guess just hang out with Ron and Hermione," Harry said simply.

Lily and James looked at him.

"That's is?" said James incredulously. "You could invite more people, you know. Or do something special…"

"James," warned Lily, "don't give it away. I want ideas, too, but I don't want to ruin everything."

Harry was thoroughly confused. He was eyeing his parents suspiciously and wanted to know what they were planning to celebrate his birthday. After all, how could they possibly top their own returns?

After a few minutes, the doors to the hospital wing swung wide and he was greeted by a fury of red hair and noise. Harry broke out into a wide smile.

Ron and Hermione were practically running towards him, Sirius jogging behind them. Mrs. Weasley was walking quickly with Ginny, and was lecturing the twins to behave themselves.

Lily stood up and moved from Harry's bedside to make room for the newcomers. Harry was immediately engulfed in bushy brown hair and Hermione squealing, "Harry!"

"Merlin, Hermione," said Ron, giving Harry an uncharacteristic hug himself. "Scream his bloody ear off. I think he knows his own name."

Hermione punched Ron's arm lightly and said, "We've been so worried about you! After we didn't get any owls, we started to wonder…"

"So you know then?" Harry asked grimly.

"Yeah," said Ron. "Sirius and Remus told us. But it's not their fault, mate. We pestered them until they finally broke down and told us. We were thinking something way worse had happened, that you were dead. We were worried."

"Well, I'm alright," said Harry, trying to get off the subject.

"We'll talk about it later," said Hermione. Harry was grateful she caught on to his silent plea. "So, anyway," she changed subjects, "Happy Birthday! We would've brought your presents, but Sirius said not to because your mum wanted us to bring them to your party. Oh my gosh! We haven't even met your parents yet! How horrible of us! Come on Ron!"

Harry laughed and shook his head as Hermione dragged Ron off to meet his mum. Ginny was standing next to his bed and immediately took Hermione's recently vacated spot. She bent down to give Harry a hug and he got a strong waft of her flowery perfume as her hair hit his face. When she pulled back, Harry realized he had never taken the time to notice just how pretty Ginny really was. Maybe it was because she reminded him of his mum a little, what with both of them having red hair, but she really was pretty. And Ron's sister. And she had a boyfriend. And now Harry was staring at her with a goofy smile on his face, and Ginny was looking at him like he needed mental help.

"Erm, hey Ginny," Harry muttered, blushing furiously.

Ginny laughed and Harry blushed even harder; her laugh was strangely intoxicating.

"Hey Harry," said Ginny. "Happy Birthday! How are you? Erm, well, obviously not great; brilliant, now it's my turn to be embarrassed."

"Thanks," said Harry through a laugh. "No, it's okay, I'm doing better. I think I only have a few more pain potions and other stuff to take before I can leave."

"That's good," Ginny said. "So, what do you think about having your mum and dad back? I think it's amazing."

"Yeah, it is," Harry said, his gaze wandering over to them. "I haven't really had any time with them, just as a family, but they haven't been back long enough for that."

"Well, you still have the whole summer to get used to each other," Ginny mused.

"Yeah," agreed Harry. "How has your summer been?"

"Pathetically boring," said Ginny sadly. "The same old thing as every year."

"Hey," chorused the twins.

"Quit hogging," began Fred.

"The birthday boy," finished George.

"Oh shut it," snapped Ginny.

"Look, Georgie," said Fred, "we interrupted the lovebirds."

"Shame on us," said George. "They could've been planning a date."

"Maybe their wedding. How awfully rude of us," said Fred.

Harry went red. "We weren't – we aren't – I'm not –" he sputtered.

"For your information," interrupted Ginny, mercifully saving Harry, "I have a boyfriend, and he isn't Harry!"

The twins gawked.

"Really now?"

"Who is he?"

"How long?"

"What house is he in?"

"Merlin, you two sound like girls," said Ginny, sounding thoroughly irritated.

"How insulting," said Fred.

"Anyway," said his twin, "we were going to tell you about Percy. He and Dad had a big row, and now he's moved out. He won't speak to any of us."

"Right foul git, he is," supplied Fred. "Mum cries every time she hears his name, and Dad breaks something."

"What we're trying to say," said George, "is just try not to mention him."

"We've basically been pretending he doesn't exist ever since," said Ginny.

"Wow," said Harry. "That's awful."

"It was bound to happen at some point," said Fred.

They continued talking for a few minutes about Percy and the twins' joke shop until Mrs. Weasley deemed herself and Lily properly introduced enough to extract herself from conversation and give Harry one of her signature, bone-crushing hugs.

"Harry, dear!" she said, pulling him into a much gentler hug than usual, for which Harry was grateful. "Happy Birthday! How do you feel?"

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," she Harry when she had released him from the hug. "I feel loads better, thanks!"

"Wanna play Exploding Snap, Harry?" Ron offered.

"Sure," Harry gratefully obliged.

They sat like this for an hour or so, the kids playing games and laughing while the adults watched fondly and talked amongst themselves.

Madame Pomfrey came bustling into the hospital wing. Everyone looked at her expectantly.

"Can I go home?" Harry begged.

The corners of Madame Pomfrey's mouth twitched, but she still looked rather cross all the same.

"Lily, James, I would normally never do this, but Harry is a special case," she said. At the same time conjuring a box full of potions. "For the next two weeks, he is to continue with his nutrient potions. Give him as much food as he'll eat, but not to the point he's sick. He'll continue with pain potions as usual for a week, then wean him down to one a day for the second week, and eventually he won't need it. I've also included some dreamless sleep and calming potions in case he needs them. No flying for at least a week, but I'd prefer two. And when he does start back, none of that usual nonsense from Quidditch – just low to the ground and slow is best to begin with. No strenuous activity for at least a week, and even then, make it light. If he gets so much as a fever, it's right back here!"

"So, he can come home?" asked James excitedly.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, you can take your son home," Madame Pomfrey said with a smile.

"Yes!" James exclaimed, punching the air before turning to ruffle Harry's hair and high-five Sirius.

"Thank you so much, Madame Pomfrey," said Lily.

"You're welcome, dear," said Madame Pomfrey kindly.

"I'll go get Harry's clothes," said Lily. She returned in a few minutes with one of Harry's t-shirts and a pair of jeans.

Harry dressed behind the curtain, and when he emerged his mother held him at arm's length, looking him up and down.

"Harry, sweetheart, we really need to get you some clothes that fit properly," said Lily gently. "Would you like that darling?"

Clothes that fit? That were actually his? Why? They were his parents, but why would they spend money on buying him clothes? This was so strange; was this what having parents was like?

Harry looked down at his shoes, but nodded just the same. He almost felt guilty, like a little kid who had done something wrong, but was terribly sorry for it. He knew he hadn't, but there was no other way to explain how he felt.

As they left the hospital wing, Sirius clapped a hand on his shoulder. Harry hadn't expected this, and jumped back in response. 'You prat,' Harry thought. 'It's only Sirius. Get a grip.'

"Easy, mate," Sirius said, eyeing Harry cautiously. "It's just me. Anyway, I just wanted to warn you, we're going to my parents' old house for the night tonight. I inherited the bloody thing, and it's become of some use to Dumbledore. You and your parents will only be there for the night, they have a huge surprise in store for you tomorrow morning."

"What is it?" Harry asked, now even more curious and hoping his godfather would let something slip.

"Harry, if we told you, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, now would it?" said James; he had fallen back to eavesdrop on Harry and Sirius.

Harry sighed in defeat. They weren't going to tell him – they were the Marauders.

Their party had finally made its way to the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Remus said the password, ran up, and was back down in a short few minutes.

"Here's a portkey to take us there since we can't use Floo," he said in a rush.

It was a crumpled-looking piece of parchment. Everyone grabbed a piece of the edge and Harry felt that terrible familiar tug behind the navel. Suddenly, they were standing in a very dark, gloomy hallway.

A thousand pictures flashed before Harry's eyes; all the ones he saw in his nightmares. He had to steady himself for a moment and blinked to keep tears from forming. Then he noticed he was being pushed into another room and he looked around: the place looked old. And dark. No wonder Sirius didn't like it here. The place was littered with Slytherin traces. Harry would be miserable here too.

He was brought into a big dining room with a long kitchen table. He sat down between Ron and Sirius, Hermione on Ron's right and his own parents directly across from him, leaving Remus on Sirius' left and the rest of the Weasley's to the other end of the table. Ginny, however, had taken her seat at the far end of the table, on Hermione's other side, in what Harry guessed was an effort to have both 'girl talk' and be more included in important conversation.

Within fifteen minutes, their meal was served. It was a wonderful stew that Harry enjoyed immensely, followed by his favorite, treacle tart.

Harry wasn't really listening to anyone's conversations. Sirius, Remus, and his dad were regaling the twins with stories of their pranks as the Marauders. His mother was talking animatedly with Mrs. Weasley about how in the world she managed to raise to seven children and stay sane. Ron, like Harry, had his stomach full and was now fighting sleep. Hermione and Ginny were discussing Ginny's boyfriend.

"The twins can be such prats," said Ginny. "Just because I've dated someone. It's not even their business. Besides, I broke up with him before the summer holidays even started."

Harry's heart gave an odd leap; he was suddenly wide-awake and attentively listening to every word of the two girls' conversation.

"Why?" said Hermione, shocked. "I thought you really liked him."

"Well, I did," said Ginny, not seeming to be all that upset. "But then he had to run his fat mouth and say some things I didn't particularly like, so I ditched him. He didn't seem too broken up about it."

"Well I'm sorry, regardless," said Hermione.

"Don't be. I'm not," said Ginny. "If he's going to be a git, I'm better off without him."

'So,' thought Harry, 'Ginny is single. I wonder if I still have a chance? Would Ron hate me if I asked his sister out? Maybe not, if I talked to him about it first…'

Sirius tapping his arm brought Harry back from his musings.

"Harry?" said Sirius worriedly.

"Sorry, what?" asked Harry.

"Well, your mum's been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes," said James, sounding slightly concerned.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Harry apologized. "I, er, zoned out."

James and Lily shared a glance. They obviously thought this was not good. Harry saw this and quickly tried to ease their minds.

"Really, I'm fine," Harry reassured them. "I just got lost in thought for a minute."

They still didn't look entirely convinced, but decided not to pursue the matter at any rate.

"Well," said Lily, "I was thinking it was nearly time for bed, dear. Poor Ron over there is already half asleep."

Harry looked at Ron and snorted. Ron was nearly slipping off his chair, mouth open, propping his cheek on his palm. Seeing Ron almost fully asleep caused a new wave of sleepiness to wash over Harry. He yawned widely and realized how exhausted he really was.

James chuckled. Lily stood up and cleared her plate from the table with a wave of her wand.

"Harry, sweetheart," said Lily, "come with me and I'll give you your potions so you can head on to bed."

Harry nodded and followed his mother to the kitchen.

Lily pulled three potion bottles from a box in one of the cupboards. When she handed them to Harry, he gave her a quizzical look.

"I thought I only needed a pain potion and nutrient potion?"

"Those are the ones you _have_ to take," explained Lily. "I'm also giving you a dreamless sleep potion because I want you to sleep straight through the night and get a decent night's sleep. It'll do you good."

"Oh," said Harry quietly.

Lily smiled at Harry sadly. "I know, sweetheart. You won't have to take these potions very long. I want you to be fully rested for tomorrow; it's your party and you'll have a big day ahead of you. Tomorrow night we'll see how you do without the dreamless sleep, and maybe we can leave that off for good. How does that sound?"

Harry nodded.

"That's my sweet boy," said Lily, placing her hand on Harry's cheek. "Now, take your potions and I'll show you where you're staying tonight."

Harry did as he was told and handed Lily the potion bottles back. He walked back through the kitchen and saw that Ron, the twins, Hermione, and Ginny had all been sent to bed already. Everyone bade him good night, Sirius ruffled his hair as he passed, and his dad got up to give him a hug. It was sort of strange, being hugged and kissed and told he was loved before he headed off to bed. It felt nice though. At first, it kind of scared him when James wrapped his arms tightly around him and said, "Good night"; that had never happened to him before. Harry tried to wriggle out of it, but James only tightened his hold until Harry understood he did it out of love. This would take some getting used to.

Lily led Harry up the stairs until they finally came to a door on the right side of the hall. Harry made to open it and walk in, but Lily stopped him.

"Harry, I know you're exhausted, so I'll make this quick," she said. "I love you so much, sweetheart. If you need anything at all tonight, Dad and I will be just down the hall, and Sirius is at the other end of the hall and his name is on his door. Good night, love. Sweet dreams. And happy birthday sweetie."

She hugged him tightly for a minute and then kissed his forehead. Lily smoothed his hair from his face and turned to make her way back downstairs.

Harry opened the door to see Ron snoring in bed facing the doorway. He smiled and headed to his own bed. Harry changed into his pajamas that had been laid out for him and fell into bed, thinking for once in his life how much he loved his family and that he was glad it was his birthday.

* * *

**A/N: Well, that was Chapter 5! A bit longer than usual! A reward, I guess, for faithfully waiting for my update and not giving up on me! How did you enjoy the Harry/Ginny stuff? I love them together so much. And the Weasley's. THERE WILL BE SO MUCH ANGST TO COME! Hahaha! Thanks you guys! Don't forget to review! Hopefully my next update won't take quite so long. So sorry about that! Hope you guys enjoyed it!**


	7. Author's Note

**This is an Author's Note, purely for clarification purposes.**

**I've had some people ask some questions recently, and I'd like to clear some things up here.**

The first is dealing with the plot line of the story. Do I think the family plot is getting extremely old? You completely ignored my first-ever A/N, didn't you? I clearly stated that I knew that plot was over-used, and that I couldn't care less. I love stories where Harry gets a family. My job one day will be to make sure kids have a loving home. I also want to adopt a child one day. That's kind of why I'm writing stuff like this. I like happy endings. If you don't enjoy reading them, then don't. Simple fix, really. Besides, the family aspect is a subplot. This is my story, remember. You can write one of your own if you don't appreciate it. Just don't use my stuff.

Someone mentioned the prophecy and James' reaction to it. James already knows about it. That's the entire reason he and Lily went into hiding to begin with. Were it not for the prophecy, they never would have died, Harry never would have been in danger, and none of this would have transpired. Sorry to disappoint! Harry still doesn't know, though!

I'm sorry Remus seemed OC to some when they discovered what happened to Harry. I thought he seemed perfectly normal, for a werewolf. I imagined him trying to fight back his wolf instincts to rip Vernon to shreds. The wolf, Moony, sees Harry as the pack's cub. When the cub is threatened, the wolf becomes defensive and far more violent than usual. Imagine what it must be like for him. For poor, calm Remus, every time he gets upset. He would never be able to live with himself if he really unleashed all that on another living being. That's exactly what was done to him as a child. That's why his emotions are haywire. That, and his best friend just came back from the dead, along with the closest thing he's ever had to a sister, making him happier than he's been in years, yet at the same time he's completely miserable now that he sees what's happened to their son. Oh, and he's still a werewolf. Merlin's mouldy socks.

And the one that's been bugging the pants off me… Don't pair Harry and Ginny together. Really? I set the pairings in the flipping summary. Before I even wrote the blinking story. My pseudonym has HINNY in it for God's sake! Daphne Greengrass? I'm not even sure she's an actual character! I don't like Mary Sues. Sorry. And I think Fleur is way too high maintenance for Harry. Besides, by this point, I don't see how Ginny can still be considered a 'fan girl'. She's already had at least one boyfriend, a legitimate relationship, and it didn't work out for its own reasons. Ginny can't be controlled; Harry doesn't need a girl who's super clingy and whiny. Ginny isn't that. She's had her own traumas too; Voldemort possessed her in her first year. I feel like that helped her understand Harry better, and when he recognized that, that gave him a better respect for her. It gives them a deeper connection that few people could share with him, one that he's been longing to talk to someone about because it scares him. Ginny can ease his mind. Plus, I've always felt connected to Ginny in a way I cannot possibly rationally explain. I love everything about her character. She is strong enough to take on Harry's personality, but soft enough to show him the love he so desperately needs. They are beautiful together. Every young witch was fed with stories about the Boy Who Lived, but Ginny got close enough to Harry to see the real boy behind the stories and see who he really was. She got a priceless connection with him. All my pairings stay, and this is my final word on the matter. Don't like it? There's the metaphorical door. As I have said before, this is my story. I write what I like; those who enjoy it will read it.

Again, if you have issues with what I do with my story, remember, it's mine in the end. I'm writing because I enjoy it. I write what I like and what entertains my mind. If you see it differently, feel free to write your own. More power to you. It's not that I'm not creative enough to deviate from J.K. Rowling's canon stuff; there are some things that aren't canon that I do enjoy. But as far as main pairings go, I'm canon all the way. However, that's not the main focus of this story, and no one needs to get their knickers in a twist over Harry's love life or whether Sirius has a girlfriend and if Lily and James have another child or something. As a side note, I've always thought Neville and Luna would've been kinda cute together, even if she did sort of scare him. Maybe not as a mature couple, but as a puppy love, teenage boyfriend/girlfriend fling, they would have been cute. And, when I read the first book, I totally thought McGonagall and Dumbledore had something going on, all the way up to the fourth book. Not even gonna lie. I do like adorable scenes where James and Lily are being sweet, so maybe their love will get it's own special appearance once or twice.


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